Keith Bryant
Recent data supports the consensus among residents that Bella Vista is a safe place to live.
ValuePenguin, a personal finance website that researches a wide array of topics, published an analysis of safe cities in Arkansas.
Bella Vista came in as the second safest city in the state, and the absolute safest among large cities -- those with a population greater than 20,000.
Mayor Peter Christie said Bella Vista has received similar recognition in the past, and he appreciates it. Further, he said, he appreciates the hard work the Police Department does to make it happen.
"It's a great kudo for us," he said, "and we consistently hit that mark. That's something we're very proud of and we work very hard at."
The analysis used the most recent FBI crime statistics, from 2014, and crime rates were established for both violent and property crimes based on the number of crimes per 100,000 people.
A combination of the two types was used to establish an overall crime score. Violent crime was weighted at 80 percent, while property crime was weighted at 20 percent. This is because prospective residents are more likely to be concerned about violent crime, according to analyst Susan Gulliford.
The end result for Bella Vista
General News on 02/01/2017