​Huntingdon is 17th safest city in the state

According to a recently released SafeWise team report, Huntingdon is listed as seventeenth among the safest cities
in Tennessee.
The report lists Huntingdon’s population as 3,807 with a median income of $25,692. The violent crime rate per
1,000 people in 2020 so far has been .3, in 2019 the rate was 2.1 and in 2018 it was 2.3.
“I’m pleasantly surprised to learn that we are rated No.17 in the Safewise survey,” said Huntingdon Public Safety
Director Walter Smothers. “I think it speaks well, not just for the police officers in our town, but for the quality of
citizens we have here. It’s much like the local slogan, ‘If you’re lucky enough to live in Huntingdon, then you are
lucky enough!’”
In Huntingdon, the property crime rate per 1,000 people so far this year is 16.8; in 2019 it was 31.5 and in 2018 it
was 22.2.
In the last 12 months, the report said that 17 percent of the state’s people were affected by violent crime while 29
percent were affected by a property crime and 10 percent by mass shootings.
Mayor Dale Kelley said Huntingdon is pleased to have been included in the 20 Safest Cities in Tennessee for
2020.
“We commend the citizens of the Town of Huntingdon for doing their part by abiding by our rules and regulations
to make for an orderly community,” he said. “The Public Safety Department made up of the Police and Fire
Departments are also to be commended for protecting and serving. We are blessed to live in a community that
realizes the importance of safety for our community as a whole.”
The SafeWise team report used FBI crime statistics and U.S. Census population data to rank the safest cities in
each state and across the country. To add extra insight and depth to that assessment, demographic information and
the results of our proprietary State of Safety research study were included. The safest cities rankings are intended to
highlight cities with low crime rates and ignite conversation and action around how to make all cities and
communities safer.
The rankings are based on both violent and property crime numbers. The survey looked at the number of reported
violent crimes (aggravated assault, murder, rape, and robbery) in each city and the number of reported property
crimes (burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft).
To level the playing field, we calculated the rate of crimes per 1,000 people in each city. This makes it easier to
directly compare the likelihood of these crimes occurring in cities with vastly different populations.
The City of McKenzie was listed as twenty-second on the list.