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STAMFORD ONCE AGAIN RANKED AS ONE OF THE SAFEST CITIES IN AMERICA
Of the 254 cities nationwide with a population over 100,000 that reported crime statistics to the FBI for calendar year 2006, Stamford was ranked the 9th safest. This is the sixth consecutive year that Stamford ranked among the 11 safest cities in the nation. In fact, the actual number of crime incidents reported in Stamford has been consistently far less than similarly sized jurisdictions in the region. This has allowed Stamford to maintain a favorable crime rate when compared to other jurisdictions in the northeast region. In fact, Stamford was ranked 2nd in the region for calendar year 2006, a rank it has held 8 out of the last 10 years. Stamford also enjoys the status as the safest major city in the State of Connecticut. All of these accolades are the result of a truly collaborative effort by the City government, Police Department, community groups and the citizens of Stamford. Being able to maintain this lofty status for such a long period of time is truly a remarkable achievement and a great source of pride for our City.
In the mid 1990’s, however, the crime picture in Stamford was far from the aforementioned rosy picture. When current Mayor Dannel P. Malloy first was elected in 1995, Stamford’s national ranking was 44th and its regional ranking was 5th. Of even greater concern was the fact that Stamford’s crime rate per 100,000 people was 5645. To address this issue, Mayor Malloy, in concert with the Police Department, altered the philosophical approach of policing that was being utilized in Stamford. The decision was made for the Department to adopt the principles and practice of Community Policing. This approach allows for a more proactive and collaborative effort with the community to address quality of life issues before they become criminal issues. The impact was immediate, but more importantly, the reduction in the crime rate has been sustained for several years. In 2006, the crime rate per 100,000 people in Stamford was 2238. This figure represents an astonishing 60.3% decrease from the1995 rate.
It will be unquestionably a challenge for Stamford to maintain its lofty perch given the national trend of increasing violent crime rates. Indeed, as recent FBI crime statistics and a plethora of public and private research studies have confirmed, violent crime has increased nationwide over the last two years after consistently declining for over a decade. Experts have attributed this trend to declining federal aid for local police departments, a large influx of career criminals that have been released from prison, and most poignantly to a surge in gang/youth related violence.
Unfortunately in Stamford we have experienced the effects of gang violence. In early 2006, a spree of violent crime perpetrated primarily by youths with ties to gangs emerged. The Police Department adopted several initiatives in an aggressive, proactive strategy designed to curb the violence. The Police Department increased patrols on the streets, created a new overnight patrol squad and initiated a collaborative strategy targeting drug dealers and wanted criminals. This strategy, entitled “Operation Clean Streets,” was extremely successful and accounted for over 100 arrests. These activities played a vital role in stemming the violence, and as a result the crime rate for calendar year 2006 actually dropped. This was a truly remarkable achievement that allowed Stamford to maintain its high safety ranking, even in the face of an outbreak of youth violence. This makes us very hopeful that Stamford will be able to maintain its high national ranking well into the future. |