Hillsdale, Westwood Leap In 100 Safest Cities Rankings

Neighboring Hillsdale and Westwood both leaped in the 2016 rankings of 100 Safest Cities in America selected by a national home security company.

Hillsdale Police Officer Alex Kaplan and friends.
Photo Credit: *COURTESY: Hillsdale PD*

Jerry DeMarco

04/20/2016 5:12 p.m.

HIllsdale, at No. 24, became the top-ranked town in Bergen and Passaic by Safewise.com. It previously ranked 68,

"After suffering great loss due to Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Hillsdale developed ways to protect itself against future disasters," Safewise.com wrote. "Hillsdale's police force underwent training to better assist during emergencies, purchased more emergency medical equipment, and created a system that updates residents about emergencies through Twitter.

"Preparing for the worst will help ensure that Hillsdale remains a safe place to live."

Westwood rose to No. 28.

Formerly No. 49, Westwood "encourages its residents to stay safe through initiatives like the Teen Night Program that gives kids in 7th-12th grade a place to socialize safely," Safewise.com wrote. Borough officials "also promote fire safety through [h]eating [s]afety seminars."

Safewise compiled crime statistics from the FBI and conducted its own research on public safety public health, and educational offerings to determine its rankings.

Click here to view the complete rankings.

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