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Once again Berea has been named one of the safest towns in America.
Earlier this year, Safewise ranked Berea as the No. 13 safest town in Ohio and ranked our City as the No. 6 ranked safest college town in the country. Premium Schools has Berea ranked at No. 10.
These are national statistics based on the number of violent crimes and property crimes per 1,000 population.
A great deal of the credit goes to the Berea Police, especially the Community Engagement Unit, which has been working with residents, Baldwin Wallace University officials and students to keep the campus as safe as possible.
Last year, BW began a Jacket Escort Service to ensure that students could walk across campus safely. The program is a collaboration between the university and Berea Police. Volunteers now escort students and faculty during evening hours upon request. Many of the volunteers are student athletes.
The name Jacket Escorts comes from the BW Yellow Jacket athletic teams. Escorts are trained by Berea Police and BW security.
The City’s Housing and Code Enforcement staff also have played a major role in keeping incidents to a minimum. They have weekly contact with students and landlords to make sure City regulations are followed and that student rental housing does not negatively impact nearby neighbors.
The City will continue to work closely, not only with BW, but with other civic organizations and the Berea Schools so that Berea can remain one of the safest cities in America.