West Fargo Named Safest City in North Dakota

Grand Forks came in fifth and Fargo came in seventh

WEST FARGO, N.D. — West Fargo has been named the safest city in North Dakota.

City officials say it wouldn’t have been possible to receive the honor without the help of the community.

Some strangers leave such a lasting impact on us that we never forget their names.
For one West Fargo neighbor, it was a policeman who showed her some kindness.

“He helped me get my garage door shut because I couldn’t shut it, it wouldn’t work. His name was Cody and he helped me shut the garage door. That was really nice that he would do that,” said Diana Mullen of West Fargo.

It’s those acts of kindness police, firefighters and West Fargo neighbors do for one another that have people saying it’s no wonder the city was named the safest in North Dakota by the National Council for Home Safety and Security.

“The honor should be going to the city of West Fargo because I think we still have a lot of that small town feel that we always try to promote even though we are growing. People look out for each other and I think that’s part of what’s going on,” said West Fargo Mayor Rich Mattern.

In 2016, West Fargo had 66 violent crimes and 495 property crimes.
West Fargo Police Chief Heith Janke says part of the reason the town was able to get to the title is because everyone is so proactive.

“If we can be proactive and stop that guy before they commit a violent crime before they do it, that’s a better day for everyone here in the city,” Janke said.

Although West Fargo was named one of the safest cities in North Dakota, some say it wouldn’t be possible without the help of Fargo-Moorhead.

“If we don’t work together, all we’re doing is pushing crime across the border to another city so we work great with both departments. While we like that we come out number one on this list, it’s really due to the work that we do as one metro,” Janke said.

Grand Forks came in fifth on the list and Fargo came in seventh.