Mayor Tommy Battle calls Huntsville “one of the safest cities in America.”

The city’s annual crime report for 2022 backs up that claim.

According to the report, the crime rate decreased almost across the board and in many cases are lower than those in other large cities in Alabama.

“I think it shows the value of the diverse community that we have and the support that we have from our community that our crime stats are lower in some areas,” said Huntsville Police Chief Kirk Giles.

Battles credited the relationship between the Huntsville Police and residents. “Our police department is innovative and leading in efforts to modernize law enforcement that works for and with our residents,” he said in the report.

There were 21 homicides last year, compared to 25 in 2021. Reported rapes fell from 151 to 120. There were 144 robberies, down from 162 a year ago. There were 1,106 reported aggravated assaults, down from 1,190. There were 4,193 larceny-theft cases, down from 4,632 in 2021.