Report ranks Batesville 10th safest small city in Indiana

Mar. 12—BATESVILLE — A study published on March, 9 by AdvisorSmith ranked Batesville as the 10th safest small city (under 10,000 residents) in Indiana.

"We've always had people who look out for each other," Batesville Mayor Mike Bettice said. "I grew up here as a kid and people have always looked out, not only for their own kids, but for other kids and have always kept track of what is going on. I think because we are such a small, close knit group that it is easier to keep track and take care of each other."

The study, which utilized data reported to the FBI by cities and law enforcement agencies in the state, analyzed violent and property crimes in 17 larger cities, 46 mid sized cities and 53 small cities in Indiana. Crime scores were calculated and each city was ranked to determine the safest cities in the state.

Batesville Chief of Police Stan Holt is proud of his agency, team and the community.

"It's just an honor to be recognized for something like this," Holt said. "As a law enforcement officer, you get into this career because you want to give back. You want to make people feel safe."

In the report, Batesville's crime score was 18.9. This is significantly lower than the state average of 42.8 in small cities.

The violent crime rate in the city was 5.1 per 1,000 residents. The state average for small cities was 10.1 per 1,000 residents.

Batesville's property crime rate stood at 8.6 per 1,000 residents, compared to an average of 18.2 per 1,000 residents in all small cities.

The full study can be accessed at https://advisorsmith.com/data/safest-cities-in-indiana/.

Batesville being a small community makes it easier to keep the area safe Bettice said.

"I think that's just a matter of being a part of a small community. I'm sure it is much harder for places like Indianapolis and New York, major metropolitan areas, to have that hometown feel," Bettice said "Batesville has been able to keep that. It has doubled in size since I was a youngster, but people still think of it as our home and take it personally. That makes a difference. I think it has always been a safe place. We are very lucky in that respect."

The mayor said the city also has an active police force and its officers focus on being a part of the community by getting to know local people.

The city required its police officers undergo specific training this past month.

"We had additional training for our officers for both implicit bias training and also de-escalation training to make sure we have the latest and greatest in training so that we're doing what we can to keep people safe," Bettice said. "We normally do over and above what is normally required just to make sure we are ahead of the curve."

The police department also employs two school resource officers who help keep Batesville's students safe and reinforce the bond between police officers and the community.

Achieving safety starts with the police department hiring and training the right officers Holt said.

"You have to hire good people that are well qualified people. You have to give them the training that they need to make sure that your agency is staying progressive, that you're being able to provide the very best service that you possibly can to your community," Holt said. "Also it's just really practicing community policing. It is officers taking the time to talk to people, to talk about their issues, to get involved and figure out what they can do. Batesville, Indiana is a pretty neat place in the country to be able to be a police officer because, the more negative things that come up across the country when you watch the news, it seems like the more that our community steps up."

Batesville's safety ranking is not only a reflection on the police department, but on the entire community Holt said.

"I think it goes back to recognizing the citizens of our community and all of our police officers. We've got an outstanding team of police officers here and we've also got a great community that we serve," Holt said. "It is something the community as a whole should feel proud of. The community as a whole should know that each person played a role in Batesville getting that ranking."