STATE COLLEGE, CENTRE COUNTY - This year, State College is number five on the list of Safest Cities in America.
State College, Happy Valley, Home of the Nittany Lions. Whatever you call it, according to new statistics from the Congressional Quarterly Press, it's the fifth safest place in America to be.
"I have felt pretty safe, yeah," Jay Yonamine said.
Yonamine has lived in State College for three years. Coming from a small town in Vermont, he says this area is certainly different.
"Totally different college atmosphere," he said. "I mean, that was 2,500 students, so this is a much more lively scene, but I feel totally safe."
According to the report, State College sits behind Logan, UT, Provo-Orem, UT, Appleton, WI and Sheboygan, WI. The report is based on statistics relating to violent crimes of murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, theft and arson.
"Certainly it can be misleading if someone takes this report and says well there's nothing to worry about, nothing bad can happen to me, because that's wrong," State College Police Chief Tom King said. "It can happen and it does."
If it seems like the number of reported sexual assaults has been higher for the area these past few months, that's because it has.
But King says many of them were indecent assault or exposure, which aren't considered for the Safe Crime Rankings.
The Centre Region has had eight rapes or attempted rapes reported in the last five months of 2012 versus nine reported in the last five months of 2011.
"If those things were common, you wouldn't necessarily hear about them, so just because you have a couple instances every now and then doesn't mean this isn't a safe place," Yonamine said.
The list is based on 2012 statistics. In 2011, State College was ranked second on the list of Safest Metropolitan Areas in America.
State College, Happy Valley, Home of the Nittany Lions. Whatever you call it, according to new statistics from the Congressional Quarterly Press, it's the fifth safest place in America to be.
"I have felt pretty safe, yeah," Jay Yonamine said.
Yonamine has lived in State College for three years. Coming from a small town in Vermont, he says this area is certainly different.
"Totally different college atmosphere," he said. "I mean, that was 2,500 students, so this is a much more lively scene, but I feel totally safe."
According to the report, State College sits behind Logan, UT, Provo-Orem, UT, Appleton, WI and Sheboygan, WI. The report is based on statistics relating to violent crimes of murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, theft and arson.
"Certainly it can be misleading if someone takes this report and says well there's nothing to worry about, nothing bad can happen to me, because that's wrong," State College Police Chief Tom King said. "It can happen and it does."
If it seems like the number of reported sexual assaults has been higher for the area these past few months, that's because it has.
But King says many of them were indecent assault or exposure, which aren't considered for the Safe Crime Rankings.
The Centre Region has had eight rapes or attempted rapes reported in the last five months of 2012 versus nine reported in the last five months of 2011.
"If those things were common, you wouldn't necessarily hear about them, so just because you have a couple instances every now and then doesn't mean this isn't a safe place," Yonamine said.
The list is based on 2012 statistics. In 2011, State College was ranked second on the list of Safest Metropolitan Areas in America.
