Beaumont, Alberta – Beaumont is the overall safest place to live in Alberta and among the top 50 in Canada, according to a cross-country ranking of communities.

In a recent analysis of data collected by Statistics Canada, Macleans magazine looked at the level of crime in Canadian communities with a population of more than 10,000. The analysis compared factors such as each community’s Crime Severity Index, a measure that uses the number of crimes and their seriousness in proportion to the total population.

Beaumont’s index value was 39.68 in 2018, compared to the national average of 75 and the provincial average of 112.1.

“Even as our city grows at one of the fastest rates in the country, we remain a very safe place to raise a family and do business,” said Mayor John Stewart. “We have a responsive RCMP detachment that focuses on crime prevention and people here still feel a strong sense of community and connection with one another. That’s reflected in the low crime rates.”

Beaumont was also one of only two Alberta communities to place in the top 50 safest communities in the country. The analysis did note that Beaumont experienced a higher incidence of violent crime in 2018 compared to other top-ranking communities, however, recent statistics suggest that number may be declining.

 In its latest report to council, the Beaumont RCMP detachment recorded 193 incidents of crimes against persons, such as assaults, harassment and uttering threats, for the first nine months of 2018, compared to 148 during the same period in 2017. In 2019, that number has dropped to 146 incidents.

“While we’re trending in the right direction, there is still work to do to make Beaumont even safer,” said Stewart. “Council wants to maintain the high quality of life here. That’s why Beaumont is taking actions like investing in a School Resource Officer to support schools, families and children, and why we recently hosted a regional conference on family violence prevention for service providers and community members.”