The 177.8 square miles that comprises the
city of San Jose is home to the safest municipality in the United States with a population between 500,000 and 1,000,000 people, according to an independent research company Web site.
The "capital of the Silicon Valley" faced 2,796.2 violent or theft-related crimes per 100,000 people in 2005, according to the most recently available statistics from the San Jose Police Department.
In fact, within the population guidelines,
San Jose has held the safest-city status for the last four years, said Sgt. Nick Muyo, a public information officer for the SJPD.
"We'd like to think that it's the job here we're doing at the SJPD," Muyo said. "Also, we have good citizens that get involved."
"I don't believe it," said Vineel Maharaj, a freshman at San Jose State University.
"Anything can be manipulated," he said. "I'm a psychology major. Anything can be slanted to be biased."
Muyo said the numbers are accurate.
The SJPD even tries to ensure that crimes can be reported by illegal immigrants by promising not to incriminate them just for relaying criminal activity.
"I feel very safe," said Sam DeBey, a freshman majoring in art.
"I've only been in the U.S. for ten years, and I feel like I can walk anywhere in San Jose."
DeBey came to the U.S. from France.
"My Buick has no locks on it, and nothing's happened," he said.
SJPD operates with about half the number of officers than the average U.S. city of similar size. Out of the 23 U.S. cities with a population between 500,000 and 1,000,000, San Jose ranks last in number of police department employees per capita because of the city's budget, Muyo said.
One reason the number of reported crimes in San Jose is relatively low could have to do with the cost of living, he said. The houses are some of least affordable in the country, and many of them are inhabited by more than one family.
"Everybody's at work," so there's less opportunity for crime, he said.
Being the safest city is simply a reflection of how hard the police department is working, Muyo said.
"The numbers, the statistics - we don't get too bent to live up to that" he said. "Our crime index is just very low for a city of our size."
The most dangerous U.S. cities in San Jose's population category are, in order, Detroit, Baltimore, Memphis and Washington D.C., according to
www.morganquitno.com.
Maharaj said he does not think San Jose is safe.
"If you're going to say that (San Jose is 'safe')," he said, "that means there's no crime - nobody gets raped, nobody gets robbed.
"I think it's just to get more people to come live in this city. It's kind of like when colleges show off their GPA's."
Another SJSU student said she also had her doubts.
"I don't believe it. I don't think it's a safe city. This is a very big city, so it's prone to crime," said Crystal Cooper, an undeclared freshman.
DeBey said he thinks that crime might vary throughout different parts of the city.
"When I go out on the outskirts of San Jose, out on (highway) 280, it looks a little sketch," he said. "It probably depends on where you are in the city."
Students DeBey, Cooper and Maharaj all said they feel safe on the SJSU campus.
As far as the rest of city, San Jose still leads the pack among those on the list.
"Take pride? You bet we do," Muyo said. "Is it safe to say we'll always be the safest? Maybe. But we're still doing a fine job."
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