Bedford Named Among Safest Towns in Massachusetts

BEDFORD, MA — A new report says Bedford is among the safest towns in Massachusetts.

Recently released, the list from BackgroundChecks.org places Bedford at Number 20. North Attleboro took the top spot.

Here's what the report said about the town:

"Another town in Middlesex County, Bedford is home to 13,300 residents. Located 15 miles northwest of Boston, the community has a rich history dating back to the Revolutionary War and is the site of several historic properties. A portion of Hanscom Air Force Base also lies within the town. The violent crime rate in Bedford is 51.6, and the chance of being involved in a property crime here is just .05%."

Other areas around Bedford on the list include: Lexington at No. 13, Concord at No. 32 and Acton at No. 47.

The list compiled based on FBI violent crime stats and propriety BackgroundChecks.org research data. Rates are normalized per 100,000 residents with the state average being 391 for violent crime and 1,857 for property crime. This is calculated by taking (# of crimes/population) times 100,000.