Safe Cities Tend to Have a Few Things in Common

Law enforcement and elected officials need to work together, and police must gain residents’ trust, studies have found.

Police officers from the K-9 unit patrol in front of the convention center during San Diego Comic Con International on July 24, 2022. Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images

Most people understand what makes a city unsafe, but what are the pillars and policies that make a city safe?

Recent studies from financial information website MoneyGeek and safety and security site SafeWise found that the essential characteristics of a safe city include collaboration between elected leaders and law enforcement and visible, high-morale police officers who know the public supports them.

Earning Public Trust

Zionsville, Indiana, just northwest of Indianapolis, is recognized as one of the safest cities in the country. According to SafeWise’s 2024 report on the state’s safest cities, Zionsville is the safest place in Indiana. The town of roughly 30,000 people held second place the year before, highlighting its continued commitment to low crime rates. Zionsville was also ranked third in a MoneyGeek survey of safe U.S. cities.