City of Opp ranked top 10 safest city in the state

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, July 31, 2019

According to a recent study conducted by Security Baron, the City of Opp was ranked 10th in the state of Alabama as one of the safest cities.

Security-based review, comparison and news site, Security Baron, analyzed FBI rankings of crime rates to find out what the top 50 safest cities are in Alabama, and what their safety score is.

Opp ranked 10 with a safety score of 74.37. The rankings were determined by population, median income, violent crimes (per 1000,) property crimes (per 1000,) citizen to officer ratio, households, violent crime trend and property crime trend.

  • Population: 6,573
  • Median Income: $33,012
  • Violent Crimes (per 1,000): 4.26
  • Property Crimes (per 1,000): 21.3
  • Citizen-to-Officer Ratio: 3.04
  • Households: 2,666
  • Violent Crime Trend: -1.45
  • Property Crime Trend: +3.12

“I commend the Opp Police Department,” Opp mayor Becky Bracke said. “For doing all that they can do to keep us safe.”

Bracke said for several years, Opp has always been a safe place.

“Growing up, I have always felt very safe in my city,” Bracke said. “Just because I know that we have an amazing police force. I think they are doing a great job fighting drugs and crime. They are doing everything they can. We have problems like any other city, but we handle them.”

Opp Police Department chief Kevin Chance said he is proud of his force.

“We are pleased to see that Opp is once again ranked high as one of the safest cities in Alabama,” Chance said. “I’m proud of the men and women of the Opp Police Department who play a part in that by working tirelessly in keeping the criminals behind bars.”

Andalusia was also ranked in the top 50 at 47, with a safety score of 48.62.

  • Population: 8,958
  • Median Income: 36,101
  • Violent Crimes (per 1,000): 9.27
  • Property Crimes (per 1,000): 52.24
  • Citizen-to-Officer Ratio: 3.57
  • Households: 3,613
  • Violent Crime Trend: +0.01
  • Property Crime Trend: -0.35

“I won’t be happy unless we were the top city in Alabama,” Andalusia Mayor Earl Johnson said. “That is what would make me happy.”

The City of Helena was ranked first in the state, with a safety score of 88.32.

Security Baron created an infographic where citizens can view the top 50 safest cities in Alabama, along with their safety scores and other interesting crime statistics: https://securitybaron.com/safe-cities/alabama.