What city in the country is the safest from violent crime? FBI statistics say Irvine

IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) -- There are countless reasons why Irvine residents say it's the best city to live in.

Jiao Wang has lived in Irvine for the last 21 years.

"I think here it's more diversity and also a lot of Asian food. That's what I like about it. And, also the weather is beautiful," Wang said.

She said she's never felt unsafe.

"If anything's wrong, if we call police, they always be there for you so I feel like very safe, very good," Wang said.

For the 18th year in a row Irvine has earned the title of America's Safest City of its size for violent crime, when compared to other cities with a population of 250,000 or more.

FBI data from 2022 looked at the total number of violent crimes including murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan said the recognition reassures the city they're doing everything they can to keep residents safe.

"What really is at the core of what we're doing in our city is our community outreach," Mayor Khan said. "When we say, or our Irvine Police Department says, that they are working in partnership with the community, they mean that."

She said programs like the city's community police academy and community emergency response teams help bridge the gap between residents and law enforcement.

Mayor Khan said Irvine police also have a wide range of resources at their disposal.

"Whether it's data collection, whether it's using our drone system, whether it's real crime analysis going on - there's so much that they're capable of doing that it really helps us stay one step ahead of the game," she said.

The city of Irvine said getting officers real-time information on something that may be happening is key to ensuring a quick and effective response.

Residents are encouraged to do their part: if you see something, say something.

Mayor Khan said they look at ways of improving the safety and security of its residents every single day.

As far as next year, the city of Irvine plans to keep their title.