'Safest City In America' Award Goes To Columbia, MD, For The 4th Year In A Row

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — For the fourth year in a row, Columbia has been recognized as the “Safest City in America” by WalletHub. WalletHub compared 182 cities including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state, and used three criteria to rank cities: home and community safety, natural disaster risk and financial safety.

“This accolade is a testament to the excellent quality of life we cherish in Howard County,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said. “For many of us, home is somewhere you feel secure and part of an inclusive community. We all want to be and feel safe in our neighborhoods. I want to thank our police officers, firefighters and paramedics, social workers, community advocates and engaged residents for working together to achieve this honor for our community once again. Public safety and keeping our community safe remains a top priority of mine. I recognize that we still have work to do and will continue to make sure every community in Howard County is and feels the safest it can be.”

Throughout the pandemic, Howard County first responders served as essential workers and the department of fire and rescue services deployed its Mobile Integrated Community Health team to vaccinate home-bound residents and operate pop-up vaccination clinics. Howard County continues to have one of the highest vaccination rates in the state, with 87.1 percent of eligible (12+) residents full vaccinated and 93.4 percent receiving at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We at HCDFRS strive to maintain a safe environment and high quality of life by providing the best services to our community,” Howard County Fire Chief Louis Winston said. “We are part of the team that works together in Howard County to ensure that safety is a high priority for our residents, communities, and visitors.”

“Howard County continues to have one of the lowest crime rates in the state and the region,” added Howard County Police Chief Lisa Myers. “We focus on restorative justice programs to reduce recidivism and divert people away from the criminal justice system whenever possible. We also train our officers and dispatchers in crisis intervention techniques to help safely resolve mental health crises without injury or criminal arrest. When combined with our community outreach programs and commitment to equity in policing, these efforts help reduce the impact of crime on the communities we serve.”