White Hall was named the ninth-safest city in Arkansas this week by SafeWise, a research group that rates cities across the state and U.S.
Arkansas has the fourth-highest rate of violent crime in the nation behind Alaska, New Mexico and Tennessee, SafeWise statistics reveal.
According to the latest statistics, Arkansas “experienced more violent crime and property crime than most of the region and nation …with levels being 2.1 points higher than the national average.”
But that’s not the case in White Hall.
Mayor Noel Foster said Tuesday that he and the City Council “are very proud to be named in the top 10,” but it’s not a new designation.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The city has been named one of the state’s safest cities for the past several years, though its crime numbers have increased slightly as the population increases, Foster said.
“But that’s normal for a growing community,” he said.
He added, “The City Council continues to invest in the Police Department, and we maintain a great partnership with the White Hall School District.”
The 2020 SafeWise numbers show the violent crime rate at about 0.8%, about the same as the previous year and 2021. The property crime rate was about 17% in 2020, more than 4 points higher than in 2019 and higher than 2021’s rate of 11.8%.
The city has a population of about 5,014, according to SafeWise research, with a median income of about $67,148.
Foster said, in 2020, the Police Department and other emergency services reported responding to 4,989 calls that included emergency, criminal and traffic. There were 517 police reports filed.
The department includes 16 full-time officers, with four dedicated school resource officers, two administrative assistants and nine auxiliary officers.
The city’s violent and property crime rates are well below the state’s average, SafeWise reported.
SafeWise’s crime numbers are based on the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, including , Andrew Hull, SafeWise outreach specialist, said.
“To level the playing field, we calculate the number of violent and property crime incidents in each city per 1,000 residents — the best way of comparing small cities with larger ones,” Hull said.
“We also pull population and income data from the U.S. Census Bureau to add context to those rankings, though population and median household income do not play into our rankings,” Hull said.
Of those Arkansans surveyed, about 54% said they feel safe in the Natural State.
According to its latest research, “Arkansas residents fall in the middle of the country when it comes to concern levels.”