VIDEO: Amory Ranks In As One Of Mississippi’s Safest Cities For 2017

AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – We all want to feel safe in our communities.

Four towns in our area have been ranked among the safest in the state.

Oxford, West Point, Amory, and Starkville made the list from the National Council for Home Safety and Security.

Amory Police Chief Ronnie Bowen says this is the only year he’s aware of that Amory has landed on the list.

Crime reports and population are the two things that decide who gets a spot on the ranking.

The safest city rankings are based on the uniformed crime reports that agencies send in to the FBI every month.

Amory comes in at number eleven on the list, with 342 crime incidents reported in 2016.

“Total number of robberies was 3, and we had a 113 assaults that were reported, four involved firearms, so we had 47 burglaries, and so a total of 174 larcenies, which include shoplifting, any type of theft at all,” says Bowen.

Keeping crime down means bragging rights and possibly more dollars for the police department.

“A lot of things based on the crime report depends on where your eligible to apply for certain grants through the government to receive grant moneys, so the uniformed crime report, you know, if your numbers are high in certain areas, then you may qualify above another agency based on the uniformed crime report numbers.”

Over seven thousand residents call Amory, Mississippi, home and the new recognition is spreading excitement around town.

“It’s very exciting to know that Amory was named one of the safest towns, and also for me now that I have a baby. I think it’s good to know that because I do see myself raising my kid here for the rest of my life, and to work also in a business here on Main Street. I think it’s great for everyone to know that,” says resident, Yazmine Lopez.

“I mean, you still have to worry, but it’s a good feeling knowing that you don’t have to be like scared to do something because in the summer, me and my friends walk down Main Street, or just walk around just because to hang out, or do whatever, so it’s a good feeling knowing that we’re safe,” says resident Claire Thornton.

Chief Bowen says aggressive patrols and officers getting out and doing their jobs, are some of the many things that help keep a town safe.

“Be alert and conciseness of what’s going on while you’re on the job, so a lot of it goes not only to the officers, but to the public that’s making us aware of things that’s unusual in their neighborhood, you know, they’re calling, so we’re being proactive and not waiting to be reactive.”

Oxford is ranked number five, West Point falls at number ten, and Starkville lands right after Amory in the twelfth spot.