Safety and Understanding the Murder Rate

Understanding the Klamath Falls Murder Rate

The crime rate of a city is generally calculated from FBI crime data based on two categories, violent crime and property crime occurrences reported per 100,000 people. Each offense is divided by the total population of the city and is usually multiplied by the 1200,000 to give the result as a number of murders per 100,000 people. Because the crime rate is based on the number of offenses per 100,000 population and the City of Klamath Falls is currently just over 21,000 residents, having any crimes committed in the area can skyrocket the crime rate compared to areas with a much higher population. Violent crime rates like murder/homicide and nonnegligent manslaughter can often be misunderstood, especially for areas like Klamath Falls with a smaller population and split between both urban and rural. The overall crime rate in Klamath Falls is predominantly property crimes while violent crimes are much lower with murders at less than 1% of overall crimes. For reference, there were a total of (4) murders committed in Klamath Falls in 2019. 

Is Klamath Falls a Safe Place to Live?

Klamath Falls is a safe place to live and is ranking on multiple lists as one of the safest cities in Oregon. The SafeWise home security company is ranking the City of Klamath Falls as the #35 safest cities in Oregon and the similar company SafeHome is ranking the City of Klamath Falls at #15 with a high safety score.

Klamath Falls Local Police & Community Participation

While crimes are bound to occur in any city, the crime rate, including both violent and property crimes, is a top priority for the Klamath Falls Police Department. It is their priority to safeguard the lives and property of the residents in Klamath Falls. The Police Team continually works to improve the qualify of life by reducing not only the number of crime incidents but by reducing the overall fear of crime in the area. In addition, there are multiple ways the community can participate with local law enforcement to gain a better understanding of the safety of the area.