FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                               November 22, 2004

CARY THE SAFEST LARGE MUNICIPALITY IN NC AND
THE SOUTHEASTERN US

CARY , NC – The Town of Cary has been declared the ninth safest of 354 large cities in the nation in the 11^th Annual Morgan Quitno Safest (And Most Dangerous) City Award.  Once again, Cary is the only North Carolina municipality listed in the top 10 as well as the only southern city in the top 25.  This is the sixth year in a row that Cary has been ranked in the top 10 safest cities in the U.S.  

This year’s safest city is Newton, Massachusetts; the most dangerous is Camden, New Jersey.  

The Cary Police Department is working on several initiatives to maintain the community’s ranking within the top ten.  

Strategic Planning – police officers conducted face to face interviews with 1,028 residents and business owners to identify specific problems in neighborhoods and to the rate the level of concern about specific crime issues.  After conducting the surveys the Police Department developed 5 service standards:

• Low crime rate
• Safe roadways
• Outstanding customer service
• Efficient operations
• High level of employee satisfaction

These standards translate into goals worked on each day by department members to help keep Cary safe.  

I.M.P.A.C.T. Team - formerly the bicycle team, Cary ’s new IMPACT Team (Implementing Methods of Policing Against Crime Trends) focuses its patrolling and enforcement in areas that have been identified through crime statistics as areas that have experienced increased incidences of reported criminal activity.   

Police K-9 Program – last week the Cary Town Council authorized the formation of Cary 's first K-9 Unit.  The K-9 Unit will be used to track suspects, track lost persons, and investigate field contacts involving potential drug offenses.  

Cary ’s pick as ninth safest came in an announcement from 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 2003 statistics were used in determining the rankings.                     

“We’re very happy that the Town of Cary has for the sixth consecutive year been ranked in the top ten safest cities in America . As always, we are equally as proud of the great job our Police Department does every day for the citizens of Cary ,” said Cary Police Chief W.J. “Windy” 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.”  

Additional information on these awards is available from Morgan Quitno Press via the Internet at www.morganquitno.com or by calling (785) 841-3534.  

###