CARY, NC – The Town of Cary has been declared the sixth safest of 342 large cities in the nation in the 9^th Annual Morgan Quitno Safest (And Most Dangerous) City Award. Cary is the only North Carolina municipality listed in the top 10 as well as the only southern city in the top 10. This is the fourth year in a row that Cary has been ranked in the top 10 of safest cities in the U.S.

This year’s safest city once again, is Amherst, New York, and the most dangerous is St. Louis, MO.

The determination was made by Morgan Quitno Press, a Lawrence, Kansas-based publishing and research company that uses a city’s rate for six basic crime categories: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft. All cities of 75,000+ populations that reported crime data to the FBI for the six crime categories were included in the rankings and each of the six crimes were given equal weight. Final 2001 statistics were used in determining the rankings.

"We’re very happy with our ranking in this year’s study and with the great job our Police Department does every day for the citizens of Cary," said Cary Police Chief W. J. Hunter." The Cary Town Council and Town Manager continue to recognize and support the importance of being proactive in conflict resolution, crime prevention, and community involvement."

###