The Georgetown population has increased by 41.83% from 2012-18, but crime rates remain relatively flat, according to the U.S. Census and crime reports data. From 2012-18, total crime has decreased by about 19.7%, making Georgetown one of the safest cities of its size in Texas, Georgetown Police Chief Wayne Nero said. In that time the city’s population has increased from 52,303 to 74,180 people, placing Georgetown on the list for one of the fastest-growing cities in the country year after year. “[Georgetown] has an incredible track record of being safe statistically,” Nero said. “Statistically, when it comes to [major] crimes, it doesn’t get more safe than what we have here.” Major crimes include crimes against people, such as murder, sexual assaults and aggravated assaults, and crimes against property, such as burglary, auto theft and larceny. Data recorded only one murder occurring in Georgetown from 2012-18. In May, Georgetown was ranked the third-safest city in Texas with a population above 50,000 by Safehome.org, a free service that collects research and reviews on security services for side-by-side comparisons. The ranking also placed Georgetown at 62 among the safest cities in the U.S. In Texas, Georgetown was also one of only four cities—along with Flower Mound, Allen and Mansfield—to make it to the top 100 safest cities on the national level by Safehome.org. The safest cities rankings are based on FBI crime statistics, the police officer-to-population ratio in a city, crime trends and demographic factors, according to the data. Nero attributes much of the low crime rate to regional characteristics. Central Texas is one of the safest regions in Texas, and Austin is one of the safest large cities in the country, he said. Nero added that although Georgetown is safe, he cautions residents to not get careless about their safety and security. “Safety is everybody’s responsibility, not just the police department’s,” Nero said. “People want  to live here and raise their family here and enjoy things, [but] everybody has a responsibility to—not to be hypervigilant—but to be vigilant.” View our other Real Estate Edition coverage.