Providence Crime Rate | Is Providence Safe? [Data, Stats, Reports, Map]
One of the oldest cities in the United States, Providence, Rhode Island is rich in history. Providence also serves as the Rhode Island state capital and is the third-most populous city in New England. Providence’s economy relies heavily on the service industry, though it is still considered an important manufacturing hub. If you’re planning to relocate here, you’ll need to know whether or not you’ll feel secure living there. So is Providence a safe place to live?
Crime in Providence has been on the decline since 2015. However, there is a lot more that goes into the total picture of whether or not a city is safe than such a general statistic. It’s important to take a closer look at crime in Providence if you’re considering moving there. Our guide will give you a better understanding of what types of crimes are committed in Providence, what the safer areas are, which areas to avoid, and more.
So how can you interpret crime rates? When researchers and police departments calculate crime rates, they divide the number of crimes reported by the city’s population. That figure is then multiplied by 100,000. In addition to total crime rates, experts look at violent crime and property crime rates. Violent crimes include incidents such as murders, abductions, assaults, and more. Property crimes include burglary, theft, and more. The data comes from the FBI Uniform Crime Statistics - 2019.
Here’s a quick summary of total crime rates in Providence:
The Rhode Island State Police (RISD) was formed in 1925. They has a unique way of hiring, where police officers would enlist to serve for three years, and then they’d be up for reenlistment if they wanted it. This is still how they do things today, and before being reenlisted, they have to pass a full medical exam and have their job performance over the last three years reviewed. The current commissioner in Providence is Lieutenant Colonel Kevin M. Barry. Anyone can look at the Providence police report log where they list out crimes in the area. There are 436 police officers in Providence, with 2.4 officers per 1,000 people.
Understanding the Crime Rate in Providence

- Providence total crimes: 6,498
- Providence total crime rate: 3,607 per 100,000 people
- Chance of being a victim of a crime in Providence: 1 in 28
Violent Crime in Providence
Violent crime in Providence has been steadily declining since 2015, and at a faster rate than the national average. However, violent crime in Providence increased by about 9% between 2018 and 2019. With a rate of 455 per 100,000 people, violent crime rates in Providence are about 30% higher than the national average. An average of 1.36 violent crimes are reported in Providence every day, more than twice as frequently as the Rhode Island average.- Providence Murder Rate: 5.6 per 100,000 people
- Providence Total Violent Crimes: 819
- Providence Violent Crime Rate: 455 per 100,000 people
- 1 in 220 chance of being the victim of a violent crime in Providence
Property Crime in Providence
In Providence, property crime is much more prevalent than violent crime. However, Providence property crime rates have been declining year over year since 2008. Between 2018 and 2019, property crime in Providence decreased by 4%. Property crimes in Providence are about 40% higher than the national average, with a rate of 3,152 per 100,000 people. The most common property crime in Providence is theft.- Providence total property crimes: 5,679
- 1 in 32 chance of being the victim of a violent crime in Providence
Dangerous Areas of Providence
Every city is divided into neighborhoods, and crime rates can be wildly different from one neighborhood to the next. The majority of Providence’s violent crime, especially murder, take place in the poorer neighborhoods. In Providence, the least safe neighborhoods are:Olneyville
- Population: 7,046
- Crime rate: 44% higher than the Providence average
Lower South Providence
- Population: 6,027
- Crime rate: 16% higher than the Providence average
West End
- Population: 17,375
- Crime rate: 16% higher than the Providence average
Safest Neighborhoods in Providence
Providence is officially divided into 25 separate neighborhoods, and plenty of them are extremely safe! Here is a look at some of the safest neighborhoods in Providence:Blackstone
- Population: 6,336
- Crime rate: 60% lower than the Providence average
College Hill
- Population: 9,005
- Crime rate: 55% lower than the Providence average
Wayland
- Population: 3,028
- Crime rate: 55% lower than the Providence average
Providence Safety Tips – How to Avoid Crime in Providence
- Don’t go out after dark in the South Side of Providence
- Get to know your neighbors and look into neighborhood watch groups
- Lock windows and doors and increase lighting no matter where in Providence you live
Providence Police Department
