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FBI Database Shows Colma Police Officer Ratio Highest In Bay Area

COLMA (CBS SF) -- The town of Colma, home to 1,593 residents and 1,000 times more deceased residents of the many cemeteries there, has 12 police officers – the largest ratio of any Bay Area city.

Last year there were no murders, rapes or arsons in the 2.2 square miles of the city.

"The town of Colma is very fortunate to have very low violence and I'd have to give kudos to the police department for providing the quality of service to town residents," said Colma Police Commander Kirk Stratton.

Colma's police officer coverage works out to 9.3 officers for every 1,000 residents, three times as much as the next city on the Bay Area list, Belvedere, according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program.

Stratton said the 30-thousand visitors daily to Colma's variety of businesses in Colma requires a higher rate of police coverage, which he says works out to about the national average using that criteria.

"We have Metro Mall, Serra Shopping Center, Auto Row, we have Lucky Chances card club as well," said Stratton.

San Francisco came in fourth place with 2.6 officers per 1,000 citizens, and Oakland in 12th with about 1.6 officers per 1,000 residents.

Antioch, Vallejo, and Hercules join several other cities, coming in last with fewer than one officer for every 1,000 residents.

CITY NAME POPULATION OFFICERS PER 1,000
Colma 1,832 17 9.3
Belvedere 2,109 8 3.8
Emeryville 10,309 34 3.3
San Francisco 820,363 2,173 2.6
Brisbane 4,374 11 2.5
Kensington 5,185 10 1.9
St. Helena 5,939 11 1.9
El Cerrito 24,156 41 1.7
Piedmont 10,909 19 1.7
Richmond 106,357 182 1.7
San Pablo 29,884 50 1.7
Oakland 399487 626 1.6
Berkeley 114,961 171 1.5
Mill Valley 14,181 21 1.5
Menlo Park 32,713 47 1.4
Pinole 18,864 27 1.4
Sunnyvale 143,606 201 1.4
Tiburon 9,142 13 1.4
Albany 18,960 25 1.3
Los Gatos 30,161 39 1.3
San Anselmo 12,584 16 1.3
Watsonville 52,064 66 1.3
Concord 125,205 144 1.2
Hayward 147,424 179 1.2
Milpitas 68,433 79 1.2
South San Francisco 65,006 81 1.2
Alameda 75,467 81 1.1
Belmont 26,389 28 1.1
East Palo Alto 28,766 33 1.1
Fairfield 107,110 117 1.1
Petaluma 58,995 62 1.1
Pleasanton 71,875 81 1.1
San Bruno 42,002 45 1.1
San Jose 976,459 1,094 1.1
Santa Clara 119,360 137 1.1
Stockton 299,105 331 1.1
Daly City 103,311 106 1
Livermore 82,800 82 1
Los Altos 29,704 30 1
Merced 80,976 83 1
Pittsburg 64,890 67 1
San Mateo 99,303 103 1
San Rafael 58,854 58 1
Colton 53,431 46 0.9
Martinez 36,729 34 0.9
Napa 78,589 67 0.9
Pacifica 38,041 33 0.9
Vacaville 93,951 89 0.9
Antioch 105,009 86 0.8
Hercules 24,682 19 0.8
San Ramon 74,013 57 0.8
Vallejo 117,912 92 0.8
Moraga 16,401 12 0.7
Suisun City 28,593 21 0.7

You can download the complete list of full-time Bay Area officers by city here.

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