Keeping the peace

Rathdrum has ranked as one of Idaho's Top 10 safest cities for three years in a row, and officials say it's thanks to the residents.

In the seventh annual SafeWise Safest Cities report, Rathdrum was named the fifth-safest Gem State city in 2021. Post Falls was 12th and Coeur d'Alene was 13th.

"We're pretty proud. We've been there year after year," Rathdrum Mayor Vic Holmes said. "I think it is a credit to our police force and council that we chose to have 24/7 coverage even though I know a lot of towns our size don't."

Rathdrum wasn't always in the Top 10, city administrator Leon Duce said.

"There were years long ago where the police department was a separate government from the city, and we worked very hard to make it inclusive," Holmes said. "It's like rowing a boat. Once we pulled together, it's been very effective."

SafeWise, an online safety resource, judged cities based on population and the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data. The study evaluated cities on the number of reported violent crimes — aggravated assault, murder, robbery — and property crimes like burglary or theft in 2021. Then SafeWise calculated the rate of crimes in the city by the frequency per 1,000 residents.

With a population of 8,968, Rathdrum's violent crime rate was 0.9 per 1,000 people. While this increased from 0.6 in 2020, it is still a significant decrease from 2.0 in 2019. Property crimes went down, from 11.0 in 2019 and 2020 to 7.0 in 2021.

During the Rathdrum Comprehensive Plan workshop last week, some residents said they feared Rathdrum's recent growth could cause an uptick in crime. But Duce said not to fret, as the city has made a conscious effort to add safety officials as needed.

"One thing we've tried to do in the last few years is to make sure there are an appropriate amount of officers on duty," Duce said. "With the growth, we've had to add additional police officers to the force, but the good news is that the taxes that come from the growth have allowed us to pay for their salaries."

He also credited Rathdrum's safe environment to the Rathdrum Police Department's positive relations with the community.

"I do feel safe in Rathdrum. It's nice to know your kid can go out and go to Rathdrum Mountain or do things with their friends without worrying about criminal activity," he said. "It's awesome to have a community that still takes pride in staying safe and being respectful to other people's property."

RPD Chief Tomi McLean believes Rathdrum's citizens' willingness to cooperate and participate in public safety practices is the most significant contributor to keeping the city safe. She also thanked Holmes and the Rathdrum City Council for supporting RPD with funding for staff and equipment that help officers provide better service.

"Our officers make a daily effort to be vigilant and proactive, but input from the citizens helps inform our decision-making on what to focus our efforts on," McLean said. "Without the input and information provided by the citizens that live here, our efforts wouldn't be as effective."

Joining Rathdrum as Idaho's safest cities were Weiser (No. 1), Rexburg (No. 2), Fruitland (No. 3), Shelley (No. 4), Moscow (No. 6), Preston (No. 7), Rupert (No. 8), Middleton (No. 9) and Hailey (No. 10).

Study: https://www.safewise.com/blog/safest-cities-idaho/