Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Tuesday, February 14, 2006
La Crosse 7th safest area in U.S.
The area of La Crosse and Minnesota’s Houston County have been ranked as the nation’s seventh-safest metropolitan area for 2005 by a private research firm, based on crime statistics.
The La Crosse-Houston County area moved up three spots from 2004 in the Morgan Quitno Press rankings, which have been published annually for 12 years.
The region also was 324 among the 330 metro areas rated in terms of being most dangerous.
The rankings by the Lawrence, Kan.-based company are derived through a formula based on FBI statistics for six crime categories — murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft — compared with the national average.
La Crosse Mayor Mark Johnsrud said the area’s ranking reflects a committed, high-quality police force.
“Our department is community-orientated and community-active, and that has a positive impact on crime,” he said.
The ranking wasn’t a surprise, Johnsrud said, because the city statistically has been high on other charts.
“It’s definitely satisfying, though,” he said.
Chief of Police Ed Kondracki said department efforts that involve the community, such as education, alternative activities and enforcement, contributes to a safe metropolitan area.
“You can’t fight crime on a single battlefield, you have to be active on all fronts,” he said.
Todd Olson, Lower North Side and Depot Neighbors vice chairman, said working neighborhood watch programs and neighbors who report suspicious activity helped the metro area land a high spot.
The police department has also done a commendable job meeting with neighborhood associations and the public, Olson said.
La Crosse does have its “crack houses, crime and drugs, but they’re not as pervasive as other cities,” said Charley Weeth, president of the group Livable Neighborhoods.
Community policing promotes neighborhood relations, Weeth said, and the socioeconomic status of La Crosse residents contributes to the overall high ranking.
It’s myriad things, not just one factor, he said.
Just four months on the job in Houston County, Sheriff Darryl Peterson said it’s difficult to single out the factors behind the ranking, but he named proactive officers and a good relationship with neighboring law enforcement agencies.
Like Johnsrud, Kondracki draws some satisfaction from the seventh-place ranking but said the area can still improve.
“I feel we can work even harder,” Kondracki said. “Our goal is to be the No. 1 safest city for our size, and that’s a fact.”
Top 11 Safest Metropolitan Areas
1. Logan, Utah
2. Fond du Lac, Wis.
3. Glens Falls, N.Y.
4. Appleton, Wis.
5. Sheboygan, Wis.
6. Columbus, Ind.
7. La Crosse-Houston County, Minn.
8. Oshkosh-Neenah, Wis.
9. Bangor, Maine
10. Bismarck, N.D.
11. Eau Claire, Wis.
Top 11 Most Dangerous Metropolitan Areas
1. Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Mich.
2. New Orleans, La.
3. Memphis, Tenn.
4. Sumter, S.C.
5. Miami-Dade County, Fla.
6. Stockton, Calif.
7. Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev.
8. Florence, S.C.
9. Hot Springs, Ark.
10. Myrtle Beach, S.C.
11. Pine Bluff, Ark.
Yearly rankings
The 2005 rankings are the 12th year Morgan Quitno Press has issued its safest metropolitan area listings. The organization lowered the population threshold for cities to 75,000 or more in 1998, so the 2005 survey is only comparable with surveys conducted since 1998.
La Crosse-Houston County
in Past Rankings
Year Ranking
1998 2
1999* Not ranked
2000 6
2001 5
2002 4
2003 4
2004 10
2005 7
* Crime data was not available for the La Crosse metro area from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporte Report
Anne Jungen can be reached at (608) 791-8224 or ajungen@lacrossetribune.com.
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