Waterloo has been named the safest city in Illinois by the National Council for Home Safety and Security.

The National Council for Home Safety and Security is a national trade association comprised of licensed alarm installers, contractors and other related trade groups across the U.S.

Waterloo, with a population of 10,224, had just one violent crime and 29 property crimes reported in the latest FBI Uniform Crime Report statistics, according to the association.

“Classic brick buildings line Waterloo’s downtown area, which is home to beautiful churches and restaurants with impressive culinary creativity,” the council states in its listing for the city. “At the south end of the city, you’ll find a long, winding creek, Schorr Lake, and a beautiful vineyard where you can buy their local wine. Their schools are very highly rated and one of the safest places in the state, making it a wonderful place to live. Each year, Waterloo hosts a PumpkinFest, a homecoming fair in courthouse square, the Monroe County Fair, and a Sister City celebration honoring the culture of their German sister city — complete with a parade and marching bands.”

Other cities in the region that cracked the top 50 on the list include Mascoutah (11th), Pinckneyville (22nd) and Greenville (32nd).

To view the full list, visit online at www.alarms.org/the-safest-cities-in-illinois-2017

To identify the safest cities in Illinois, the council reviewed the most recent FBI Crime Report statistics along with our its population data and internal research. Cities that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI and cities with populations under 5,000 were removed from consideration.

The remaining cities were ranked based on number of reported violent crimes (aggravated assault, murder, rape and robbery) and property crimes (burglary, arson, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft) per 100,000 people.

These variables were then weighted, with violent crimes accounting for 70 percent of the total and property crimes accounting for 30 percent.