For the 16th straight year – every year since 2005 – Irvine’s winning combination of smart planning, a top-quality police force and strong ties with local residents has made it the safest U.S. city of its size.

FBI statistics for 2020 show Irvine has the lowest rate of violent crime per capita of any city in the nation with a population of 250,000 or more. The report was issued fall 2021.

What this means for residents like Christine Ludovico, a mother of three who volunteers for local charities, parent-teacher organizations and swim teams, is that her kids can walk to school without her worrying, and she can take walks with her headphones on without worrying who might be following her.