Columbia Falls came in No. 10 in a recent ranking of the safest places in Montana for communities with at least 1,500 people. Libby came in ninth in the crime analysis, and Kalispell and Whitefish didn’t make the top 10.

The survey was conducted by SafeWise.com, a community-focused security organization, using the most recent FBI crime report statistics for 2012.

“Personally, I have watched Columbia Falls transition from an industrial hub to a bedroom community,” Columbia Falls police chief Dave Perry said. “Naturally, criminal activity changes with the dynamics of your city.”

“The city is always proud of being recognized for having low crime statistics,” Columbia Falls city manager Susan Nicosia said.

SafeWise looked at the number of violent crimes, including murder, robbery, aggravated assault and forcible rape, in addition to property crimes, including burglary, arson, motor vehicle theft and larceny theft.

To level the playing field between large and small towns, the numbers were averaged per 1,000 residents per yeaer. SafeWise notes that the FBI data may not be complete because some law enforcement departments have not reported complete data.

The survey found that Columbia Falls had 0.84 violent crimes per 1,000 residents and 27.63 property crimes. Libby had 1.52 violent crimes and 24.71 property crimes. The No. 1 safest community in Montana, Colstrip, had 0.88 violent crimes per 1,000 and 6.18 property crimes.

Among the top-10 for violent crime alone, East Helena had the lowest at 0.48 and Columbia Falls came in second. Colstrip had the lowest property crime rate, and Columbia Falls came in 10th.

Statewide, SafeWise reported 2.72 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, compared to 3.67 for the average American city. None of the top-10 safest cities in the Montana survey had a reported murder, and 90 percent of all Montana cities did not have a reported murder.

The property crime rate for the top-10 safest cities in Montana was about half the rate found in most American cities, SafeWise reported.

Last September, Movoto, an online real estate brokerage based in San Mateo, Calif., announced that Columbia Falls had ranked No. 3 in a survey using the same FBI data from 2012.

That survey looked at communities with at least 3,000 people and tracked crime differently. Whitefish came in ninth, and Kalispell didn’t make the top 10.