Amherst has been named one of the 10 safest college towns in the U.S. by the safety and security website SafeWise.
To compile its annual top-30 list, SafeWise examined FBI crime statistics in communities with at least one institution of higher education. Those statistics are weighted in relation to population size. SafeWise also considers other safety, health and educational programs in ranking towns, according to the company.
It ranks Amherst the seventh safest community in the country. SafeWise cited the town’s concerned and involved citizens and community-police collaboration, such as the Community Shred event.
At the University of Massachusetts Amherst, “community outreach is a cornerstone of crime prevention,” according to SafeWise. It cited the UMass Police Department’s active threat program, designed to educate students and faculty about what to do in a situation involving an active shooter.
Amherst was ranked eighth on last year’s list.
Waltham and Westfield are the other two Massachusetts communities to make the SafeWise list.