These Are The Safest Cities In Rhode Island: SafeWise

BRISTOL, RI — Bristol was named the safest town in Rhode Island, according to the latest State of Safety in America ranking from Safewise.com. The report named the safest cities in the country, based on crime rates and other data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

This is the first time Bristol has taken the top slot. Last year, the town came in second place behind South Kingstown.

Town Administrator Steven Contente said it was "a great recognition for the town."

"The cooperation between our citizens, businesses, civic organizations, and continued support from the Town Council, with the police department, has led to Bristol becoming a safe and desirable town to live," Contente said. "The men and women of the Bristol Police Department, under the leadership of Chief Lynch, take tremendous pride in the services they deliver to the community while being continually focused on a community policing approach not only in solving crime but in their day-to-day interactions with the citizens of Bristol."

South Kingstown, which took the top slot in 2020, came in second place. Here's a look at the cities and towns that made up the rest of the top 10.

1. Bristol
2. South Kingstown
3. Smithfield
4. Cumberland
5. North Kingstown
6. North Providence
7. Westerly
8. Coventry
9. Johnston
10. East Providence

The Ocean State is one of the safest in the country, coming in at number nine nationwide. In the last year, the state reported 2.2 violent crimes per 1,000 people, the same rate as the year before. That's considerably below the national average.

Despite this, Rhode Island residents are more concerned about their safety than the average American, SafeWise said. According to the report, 53 percent of residents reported being concerned on a daily basis that a crime might happen to them. The majority of Rhode Islanders said they were most concerned they will be a victim of package theft.

See the full 2021 report from SafeWise.com.