Big Apple rated as America's safest big city

New York, June 3 (ANI): New York, also known as the "Big Apple" has been rated as the safest city among 25 largest cities in the United States, new Federal Bureau of Investigation data reveals.

Referring to new FBI crime statistics, Mayor Bloomberg announced that New York has the lowest crime rate of the 25 largest cities in the country.

And of the 261 cities with more than 100,000 residents, New York's crime rate ranked 246th, he added.

Other big cities with low crime rates after New York are San Jose, Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.

Last year, New York's violent crime rate declined by four percent, outpacing the national crime decline of 2.5 percent.

Overall, New York in 2008 saw nine percent drop in assaults, 5.4 percent increase in murders, 1.7 percent hike in rapes and 1.8 percent boost in robberies.

The New York Public Department has some more good news for Bloomberg's re-election campaign.

In the first five months of 2009, crime has dropped sharply against last year's trend.

2009's downward trend is led by murder percentage that has gone down to 21.1 percent, the NYPD said. Rapes, robberies and felony assaults are down, too.

"There have been 43 fewer murders, 1,415 fewer robberies and 491 fewer cars stolen than this same time just a year ago," Bloomberg said.

"Using innovative policing strategies and a focus on keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, we are continuing to do more with less, in spite of the economic downturn," he added.

However, the picture was not as rosy for small-town America in 2008.

Places with fewer than 10,000 residents charted a 5.5 percent rise in murders, a 1.4 percent increase in rape and a 3.9 percent rise in robbery. (ANI)