This week, Nassau County on Long Island was listed as the safest county in the U.S. According to the rankings, the New York metropolitan area has 10 of the top 25 safest counties in the country.
County Mayor Bruce Blakeman credited Nassau's win in the U.S. News & World Report survey to the region's law-and-order values.
“Our county's ranking as the safest county in the nation is a tribute to the police officers, district attorneys and other law enforcement professionals who put their lives on the line every day to protect the residents of Nassau County,” he told The Post on Thursday.
The list scored each county out of 100 based on its performance in key safety areas, including health care and public safety capabilities, as well as crime rates, the magazine said.
Nassau County ranked No. 1 on the list of safest communities in the country. Aurora East Media – stock.adobe.com
Other factors considered include emergency services and accident fatality rates.
For example, news media specifically cited Nassau County's per capita health care and emergency services spending, rather than its crime rate, as the area in which the county was performing best.
The Northeast, particularly New Jersey and New York, performed exceptionally well, with half of the top 10 counties from the region, including Rockland County in the north in third place.
County Executive Ed Day similarly said he was “very proud” of his county's residents, but wasn't surprised.
Nassau County Mayor Bruce Blakeman credited the victory to local police officers who “put their lives on the line” every day. Dennis A. Clark
“I'm steering the ship, but we have a great staff,” Day said, singling out Sheriff Lou Falco in particular. “To my fellow law enforcement officers, thank you.”
There were some relatively surprising additions to the list, with Queens ranking as the 20th safest county in the U.S., and Brooklyn coming in at 25th. There are just over 3,000 counties in the United States.
Following Nassau and Rockland counties were Westchester County in 6th, Putnam County in 8th, Bergen County (New Jersey) in 9th, Staten Island in 17th, Queens in 20th, Suffolk County in 22nd, Morris County (New Jersey) in 23rd, and Brooklyn in 25th.
Bergen County Mayor Jim Tedesco said in a statement he was “very proud” that New Jersey's most populous county made the list.
Nassau County was joined by several other counties in the New York metropolitan area. Jim Staubitzer
“This honor is a result of the hard work and dedication of the Sheriff's Office, the Prosecutor's Office, Bergen County EMS, local emergency personnel, community partners and social service providers,” the Democratic county leader said.
“We are committed to providing the best quality of life possible for our residents, and by investing in our community and emergency response infrastructure, Bergen County will continue to be one of the best places in the country to live, work and raise a family.”
Governor Kathy Hawkle also claimed credit for New York counties' high safety ratings.
“Public safety is my number one priority and since taking office I have been fully committed to fighting crime. The statistics show our efforts are working: Murders, shootings and property crimes have decreased across the state, and four of the 10 safest areas in America are located in the Empire State,” Hawkle told The Post.
“But make no mistake: our work is not done. I will continue to work to ensure our state is safer for everyone.”
