Forrest County Crime & Safety

Forrest County has a total crime rate of 3490.9 per 100,000 residents, based on FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data. This includes both violent crimes (293.9 per 100K) and property crimes (3197.0 per 100K).

Forrest County has a safety score of 5/100, rated "High Crime". A higher safety score indicates lower crime rates relative to other counties nationwide. It ranks #81 out of 82 counties in Mississippi for safety (1 = safest).

The county ranks below the state safety average of 98.4, signaling a need for community vigilance. Eight different reporting agencies track these trends to manage public safety across the area.

Property crime represents the bulk of local issues at 3,197.0 incidents per 100,000 residents. Violent crime sits at 293.9, which is notably lower than the national average of 369.8.

Crime data for Forrest County comes from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program. Local law enforcement agencies submit data on violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) and property crimes (burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft) to the FBI. Rates are calculated per 100,000 residents to allow fair comparison between counties of different sizes. The safety score (0-100) is derived from these rates, with higher scores indicating safer counties.

Forrest County has a safety score of 5/100, which is below the Mississippi average of 63/100. Many counties with above-average crime rates invest in community policing, crime prevention programs, neighborhood watch initiatives, and social services aimed at reducing crime over time.