With 78 murders in 2012, Birmingham had the not-so-honorable distinction of being one of the top 10 cities for homicides. Last year, the city recorded 67 murders.

"We've worked diligently to build up the police force and its technology," said Mayor William Bell. "We revitalized and expanded patrols and our numbers have been down three years in a row. The homicide rate is the lowest in 10 years."

An ongoing downtown revival, which includes the building of a new park, minor league baseball stadium and the re-purposing of old warehouses and railroad buildings, has brought new life to many streets, which has helped to make them safer.

Recently improved street and park lighting has also helped keep the streets safer, added the city's chief of staff, Erskine "Chuck" Faush.