City recognized among state’s safest midsized cities

La Cañada Flintridge, where property crimes outweigh violent crimes 25 to 1, has been named among the Top 10 safest midsized cities in California, according to a recent study published by New York start-up analyst firm ValuePenguin.

The company’s “2015 Safest Places in California” report ranked La Cañada 29th out of 417 cities that regularly report their crime rates to the FBI. By comparison, the city of Glendale was ranked 78th, while Burbank’s score netted it a ranking of 157.

ValuePenguin employees compiled and compared data on violent crimes and property crimes reported to the FBI, designating the former with a statistical weight of 90% and the latter 10%, according to Andrew Prentiss, an associate editor for the company.

So far, the firm has completed statewide reports for about half the nation and expects to continue.

“Basically, the idea behind it is to hopefully educate community members about how safe their cities are and why,” Prentiss said.

The city of La Cañada Flintridge, according to the study, reported a total of 12 violent crimes to the FBI in 2013. That relatively small figure was one contributing factor to it receiving a low ranking of 27 out of 417 California communities included in the analysis. By comparison, 182 violent crimes occurred in Glendale in the same period.

Incidents of property crime were much higher, with about 303 thefts and burglaries reported in La Cañada in 2013— the rate of about 1,473 per 100,000 people, according to the study. In this regard, the city kept pace with Glendale, which saw 1,637 property crimes per 100,000.

The statistical weighting of violent crimes is the main reason why La Cañada ranked higher than Glendale and earned an eighth-place ranking among the Top 10 safest midsize California cities with populations ranging from 20,000 to 50,000.

La Cañada Flintridge Mayor Dave Spence attributed the disproportionate number of property crimes to demographics and geography, namely higher home values and proximity to two major freeways.

“Violent crimes hardly ever happen around here,” he said. “But when you have houses over $1 million in value…I think you’re going to have a significant increase in property crime.”

To combat the high incidence of theft and burglary, the city beefed up its contract with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department in its 2015-16 budget. In June, La Cañada approved a nearly $3.1 million contract with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, including $165,000 for directed patrols, in part, for burglary suppression.

Sheriff’s Deputy Eric Matejka works exclusively in La Cañada to increase public safety and aid the formation of neighborhood watch groups. Efforts to increase civic engagement in the wake of an upward trend in burglaries have so far been successful, said Kay Linden, chair of the Public Safety Commission.

“(We’ve) been quite pleased with the relationship between the city and the Sheriff’s department. They are a positive presence in our city,” Linden said in an email interview. “Deputy Matejka is actively recruiting Neighborhood Watch groups throughout La Cañada to increase the number of ‘eyes’ we have out there.”

The best line of defense, however, is a good offense, Linden stressed. Residents need to be willing to prevent crimes by taking personal responsibility for keeping their homes and belongings safe and secure from would-be burglars.

Prentiss said ValuePenguin hopes the “Safest Places” reports will help get people talking about safety. Eventually, as FBI data continues to pour in, the company will be able to compare crime rates and rankings from one report cycle to another. Meanwhile, he predicts interest in the study will continue to increase.

“The average person wants to know where their city ranks,” Prentiss said. “There’s a pride in where you live, and you want to either know if it’s safe or isn’t safe.”