WEIRTON — Weirton officials, once again, are noting the city’s ranking as the safest in West Virginia, based upon a study of its crime statistics.

ElitePersonalFinance, a network of financial experts, recently announced it had selected Weirton as the safest city in the state.

City Manager Mike Adams explained the rankings are calculated by the organization dividing the number of violent crimes in the city by its population.

For its 2022 ranking, looking at statistics reported to the FBI from 2021, ElitePersonalFinance noted a report of nine violent crimes in Weirton and a population of 18,542, giving it a crime score of 0.49.

Similar sized cities on the list included Martinsburg, ranked 16 with a population of 17,428 and 55 violent crimes, and Fairmont, ranked 17 with a population of 18,430 and 63 violent crimes.

The second-ranked community was Barboursville, with a population of 4,256 and three violent crimes.

“I think it’s remarkable how low our numbers are,” Adams said. “It tells us we are doing things right.”

Weirton’s officials pointed to the work of the officers of the Weirton Police Department for keeping the community at such a high rank.

“These officers are out on the streets on a daily basis,” Police Chief Charlie Kush said. “They do an amazing job.”

Kush applauded the relationship the city’s officers have forged with the community, noting residents are willing to contact the department if they are suspicious of crime in their neighborhoods, and also expressed his appreciation to the city administration for its support.

Adams echoed many of those sentiments, adding many of the officers are active in the community outside of their jobs, including through various volunteer efforts and through coaching local athletic teams.

“I’ve always preached that a safe city is an attractive city,” Mayor Harold Miller said, pledging to continue investing in both the city’s police department and fire department, while also pointing to ongoing economic development projects in the city.

Rounding out the top 10 of the rankings were Buckhannon, Lewisburg, Point Pleasant, Bridgeport, Summersville, Oak Hill, Charles Town and St. Albans.

In separate rankings, Wellsburg was in fourth place for communities with under 3,000 residents. Of communities with more than 10,000 residents, Weirton also came in first place, with Charleston ranked eighth and Wheeling ranked ninth.

(Howell can be contacted at chowell@weirtondailytimes.com, and followed via Twitter @CHowellWDT)