Gilbert named best city in the state to raise a child

GILBERT, Ariz. - A town right here in the Valley has been named the safest city in the state to raise a child — and 12th in the entire country. That's the city of Gilbert. The ranking is based on overall safety scores, crime rates, and more.

This is great news for the very fast-growing city of Gilbert, but the safety rating came as no surprise to any residents or visitors we spoke to.

Longtime Gilbert residents are responding to the news that their town has been dubbed the safest city to raise a child in Arizona, and the 12th safest in the entire country.

"I can feel confident our neighbors are looking out for us," said Gilbert resident Reyna Cuellar. "I can feel confident that my kids can play in our front yard."

This is according to a study conducted by SafeWise, a review comparison website that does in-depth research about places, products, and services, They ranked cities based on overall safety score, graduation, sex offenders, and violent and property crime rates.

Gilbert Police Chief Michael Soelberg says he and his officers are always working to be proactive through education and patrols but he says so much of this is thanks to the community helping them do their job.

"We have a lot of participation and a lot of community events that on the crime side, they're looking out for their neighbors [and] watching their neighbors looking for something suspicious," Chief Soelberg said. "They help us police the community."

Chief Soelberg also added that even though the population in Gilbert has exploded over the years, now at more than 242,000 people, it hasn't altered the crime rates, making it so even more people are coming here. Gilbert residents say it gives them something to be proud of.

"We are so happy we moved to Gilbert," one resident said. "There is so much to do here, too."

Gilbert isn't the only city in Arizona getting some love, the city of Surprise is ranked 35th and Scottsdale made it in at 42nd.