THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 10, 1994 TAG: 9406101014
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: D5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: 940610 LENGTH: Medium
Virginia Beach was ranked sixth and Arlington 14th among localities with populations of more than 100,000.
{REST} The study used 1993 statistics from the FBI on the number of murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults in a given area, said Ira Hellman, Money spokesman.
Other crimes were not included.
The study cited 295 violent crimes in Virginia Beach per 100,000 residents. Arlington had 353.
Irvine, Calif., was listed as the safest city with 114 violent crimes per 100,000 residents.
Washington was ranked the 12th-most-dangerous city, with 2,648 violent crimes per 100,000 people. The most dangerous city was Atlanta, with 4,143 crimes per 100,000 people.
Virginia had no localities on the most dangerous list.
Virginia Beach Police Chief Charles Wall said the city was pleased, but not surprised, with its high ranking.
``Yearly, when the FBI list comes out . . . we are normally very, very low'' in terms of the number of crimes committed, he said.
Wall attributes the low crime rate in large part to the Police Department's ``close relationship with the community.''
``We're trying to get to the source of the problems rather than just responding to the symptoms,'' he said.
But Wall added that the numbers still reflect criminal activity in the city.
``This is not Utopia,'' he said.
``We have drug problems, we certainly have problems here. We just try to address them and move ahead.''
by CNB