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Are these DeKalb County's safest cities to live in?

A DeKalb Police officer works from his car at a crime scene Aug. 31. A contract to install and remove two-way police radios will be competitively bid as a result of an investigation of the county. BEN GRAY / BGRAY@AJC.COM
A DeKalb Police officer works from his car at a crime scene Aug. 31. A contract to install and remove two-way police radios will be competitively bid as a result of an investigation of the county. BEN GRAY / BGRAY@AJC.COM
By Ana Santos
Jan 21, 2016

The top 10 safest cities in Georgia

1. Summerville (Chattooga County)

2. Johns Creek (Fulton County)

3. Grovetown (Columbia County)

4. Milton (Fulton County)

5. Flowery Branch (Hall County)

6. Peachtree City (Fayette County)

7. Tyrone (Fayette County)

8. Folkston (Charlton County)

9. Braselton (Barrow, Gwinnett, Hall and Jackson counties)

10. Auburn (Barrow and Gwinnett counties)

Think you live in one of Georgia's safest cities? This new analysis of crime data may surprise you.

A ranking by SafeWise used FBI data from crimes reported in 2014 to calculate this year's 100 safest cities in Georgia.

The study evaluated violent crimes, such as aggravated assault and rape, and property crimes, such as burglary and arson, to calculate "the likelihood of these crimes occurring out of 1,000 people in each city," according to the report.

Cities with fewer than 4,000 residents are not included in the study.

Only three DeKalb County cities ranked in the top 100 safest cities. Atlanta ranked no. 92 on the list.

The top 3 safest cities in DeKalb County

1. Brookhaven (30th overall)

2. Decatur (37th overall)

3. Dunwoody (59th overall)

In 2010, the FBI cautioned against rankings such as the SafeWise analysis, saying they "are merely a quick choice made by the data user; they provide no insight into the many variables that mold the crime in a particular (region)."

The rankings can "lead to simplistic and/or incomplete analyses that often create misleading perceptions adversely affecting cities and counties, along with their residents," the FBI argued.

About the Author

Ana Santos

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