Austin Metro Area Among Safest in the U.S.

A report from CQ Press shows the Austin-Round Rock Metro area is one of the safest in the U.S.

The most dangerous? St. Louis, Missouri.

Safest? El Paso, Texas.

The annual report looks at factors "including violent crimes like murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault and the property crimes of burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson." CQ says these indicators are no longer used by the FBI, which found that high reportage of property crime skewed results.

You may wonder why El Paso is safest, when it sits directly across the border from Mexico's most violent city, Cuidad Juarez. El Paso is regularly ranked among the safest simply because it has a low rate of murder and other violent crime.

The El Paso Times reports that this year,

El Paso is on pace this year to have its lowest number of homicides in recent history, even as murders continue uncontrolled across the border in  Juárez.

With less than two months to go in 2010, crime is down 1 percent overall, officials said. The most startling drop is in homicides.

This year, there have been three homicides in El Paso, including one Saturday. That compares with 10 at this time last year, which ended with a total of 12.

"It is low," Assistant Police Chief Eric Shelton said. "Once again, it is how safe the streets are in El Paso. In general, homicides will occur in areas that are unsafe and I don't believe El Paso has an area that is dangerous."

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