The safest communities in the Miami Valley, according to the most recent FBI Crime Reports, are mostly rural areas with a population of less than 4,000 people. The half-dozen communities at the top of the list had no violent crimes in 2013, with the Clark County village of South Charleston among them.
"I'm proud of it. I'm thankful too. I feel safe here," said Patty Nibert, a long-time South Charleston business owner. She runs the Country Mini Market and as most of her customers arrive in the store, she greets them by their first name. "I love this community. They are very close and caring. If something is out of place, they know it," Nibert said.
Brian Redish, South Charleston Police Chief, said like big cities, his community does have problems. "Drugs are up. It's mostly people passing through on State Routes 41 and 42," Redish said. His counterpart in Montgomery County's Jackson Township, Police Chief Jon Schade, said law enforcement's close relationship with the community is what keeps people safe. "We try to be extremely visable and communicate with our residents," Schade said. Many of the problems they face, including drugs, originate from outside the township.
In Preble County, the village of West Alexandria made the list of communities that had no violent crime in 2013. Mayor Carol Lunsford said safety is the job of every village employee, not just the police department.
"If they see something strange they will report it," Lunsford said. She also offered this advice to people who want to have a safer community, regardless of their population size: "Be familiar with police. Do not be afraid of them."
An I-Team anlalysis of the FBI Crime reports found German Township and Perry Township also had no violent crimes in 2013. Mercer County's Fort Recovery made the list of the safest communities as well. The city of Dayton ranked 6th in violent crimes per 1,000 residents. Springfield came in 9th, far behind the state of Ohio's overall leader in violent crimes, Cleveland.
A law enforcement expert said much of what happens in the safest communities can be applied to larger cities. Former Fairborn police chief Patrick Oliver, who now teaches law enforcement at Cedarville University, said community policing works. "I do not think it is too difficult as long as police take the lead in getting people involved," Oliver said.
MORE INFO: Where are the safest cities in the Miami Valley? »
