The city of Arlington is as big as it's ever been -- and is also as safe as it's ever been, according to Arlington police.
Police Chief Theron Bowman said 2011 saw the lowest crime rate in the department's history.
"Historically, as populations increase, we also see an increase in the number of crimes and the rate of crime per 100,000 people," Police Chief Theron Bowman said. "When you compare our crime numbers in 2011 to 1985, the total number of crimes are actually lower."
With more than 370,000 residents, the population is more than 50 percent larger than it was 25 years ago.
From homicide and motor vehicle theft to assault and burglary, the trend is across the board, Bowman said. Over the last year, crime has dropped up to 30 percent throughout Arlington.
Bowman credits two things -- community involvement and good, old-fashioned police work.
"Citizens are coming out of the woodworks to be engaged and involved in their communities through community watch efforts, through citizen on patrol groups," he said.
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The challenge now is to keep the city safe, Bowman said.
"If it doesn't drop any lower than where it is today -- if we can keep it where it is today -- our citizens and our visitors to the city will have an experience that will be among the safest cities in the country," he said.
