Forbes: Atlanta 23rd safest large U.S. city

By Mashaun D. Simon

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Contrary to the opinions of the top candidates running for mayor here in Atlanta, the city is not among the most dangerous.

That is according to Forbes’ 2009 America’s Safest Cities list.

Atlanta is ranked 23rd of the top 40 cities, with Minneapolis at the top of the safety list and Miami-Fort Lauderdale ranking number 40, or most dangerous.

Recent high-profile crimes such as the shooting death of a Spelman College student on the campus of Clark Atlanta University, the carjacking of City Councilman Ceasar Mitchell and the robbery and killing of former boxing champion Vernon Forrest, have made many Atlantans more concerned about their safety.

The issue has taken center stage in the Atlanta mayoral race, but during the summer Mayor Shirley Franklin and police Chief Richard Pennington reported that crime is actually on the decline in Atlanta.

By 2002, said Franklin this summer, Atlanta had been ranked one of the highest crime cities in America for six straight years.

“We dropped from no. 3 in the crime rankings to no. 15,” she said. “Since 2002, APD has reduced violent crimes by 24% (based on numbers audited by the FBI twice in the past four years).”

For the study, Forbes took a look at four categories of danger to determine their rankings. They looked at 2008 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics; traffic death rates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration; and natural disaster risk.

They also looked at murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault from the FBI's 2008 uniform crime report.

Milwaukee and Portland took second and third, with Boston and Seattle tying for fourth on the list.

To see the complete list, visit Forbes.com.