Logan, Orem and Provo rank among the safest cities in the nation, with the Cache County seat capturing number one among metropolitan areas.

Logan and its surrounding towns ranked above competitors Fond du Lac, Wis., and Glens Falls, N.Y. The Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn, Mich., area was the most dangerous, followed by New Orleans and Memphis, Tenn., according the annual release of the Morgan Quitno Awards.

"I think (the city) attracts great people," said Tami Pyfer, a Logan city councilwoman. "I think it attracts an active, educated kind of person. We all who live here know that it's a great place to live. Now the secret's out."

Orem ranked 14th safest city in the United States in the "overall safest" category. The honor, while appreciated, is nothing new for Orem, which has earned the yearly honor of being among the nation's top 25 safest cities.

"The consistency is really important," Mayor Jerry Washburn said. "If it's a one-time thing, that's great, it's a real honor. But to be consistently rated that way reflects the nature of the community — it's a reflection of our way of life rather than a one-time ranking."

Provo was named the 10th safest city among those with populations from 100,000 to 499,999 residents, vying against 208 others. The competition? Newton, Mass.; Clarkstown, N.Y.; and Amherst, N.Y., won for the safest overall cities. Their crime-ridden counterparts — Camden, N.J., Detroit and St. Louis — clock in as the three most dangerous cities.

Orem has been in the upper echelons of safety since 1998 and is pleased with the honor again this year.

Provo has also ranked well over the years, thanks to alert residents and a hardworking police force, said Provo Mayor Lewis Billings.

There is room to grow, however, and Billings encourages residents to continue working with law enforcement to promote a safer city.

Through the Community Oriented Policing (COP) program, Provo residents can talk about their concerns with police officers who are assigned to their neighborhood. "The caliber of people that we have — they want to be lawful, and they expect others who live here to be lawful," Billings said. "If you want to do crime in Provo, you can expect to do time in Provo."

The complete rankings can be viewed at www.morganquitno.com/xcit06pop.htm#25.

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Contributing: Kersten Swinyard

E-mail: sisraelsen@desnews.com