Bristol is the safest town in Rhode Island, according to The State of Safety in America 2021 report by SafeWise.com, a company that uses crime rates and data calculated from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports to rank cities based on their overall crime rates.

This is the first time Bristol has held the top Rhode Island spot in the SafeWise.com report. In 2020, Bristol finished second behind South Kingstown.

“This is a great recognition for the Town of Bristol,” said Bristol Town Administrator Steve Contente. “The men and women of the Bristol Police Department, under the leadership of Chief Kevin Lynch, take tremendous pride in the services they deliver to the community, focusing on a community policing approach.”

Over the past year, the Bristol Police Department has continued engaging the community in events such as the annual Christmas Toy Drive, Trunk-R-Treat, Youth Leadership Camp, Senior Citizen lockbox program, and several other services and events focused on building community trust and partnerships. The Bristol Police Department expanded on the community outreach programs already in place by adding K9 Brody, the department’s first comfort and therapy dog. Advances in services include Tip411, updates to department policies, and leadership training for all supervisors and administrative officers.

“I’m proud of the fact that we’re number one; it’s thanks to the cooperation and support for the police department from our citizens, businesses, civic organizations, and the Town Council,” said Mr. Contente. To learn more about the SafeWise.com rankings, visit www.safewise.com/blog/safest-cities-rhode-island.