MACKINAC ISLAND, MI - In a statistical anomaly, Michigan's most renowned tourist destination was one of the state's most dangerous cities to live in last year.

Mackinac Island -- Michigan's go-to destination for fudge and vacation relaxation -- was the fifth most violent city in the state, ahead of Flint, according to 2016 FBI crime statistics that were released earlier this month.

Out of the 416 law enforcement agencies in the state that reported crime data to the FBI, Mackinac Island is right behind Detroit, Muskegon Heights, Benton Harbor and Highland Park with 16.7 violent crimes per every 1,000 residents.

Of course the idea that the island was riddled with violent crime is laughable to the police who serve the 479 year-round residents, highlighting a discrepancy with how the data is reported.

"The problem with (the FBI's) statistics is they only list the 500 some odd people who live here year-round and don't account for tourists in population," said Mackinac Island Police Chief Brett Riccinto. "If they would account for the tourists, we would be a small blip in the stats."

From April to October, the island becomes the second most populous city in the Upper Peninsula with about 15,000 to 18,000 people visiting every day, Riccinto said.

With only eight incidents of violent crime -- six aggravated assaults and two sexual assaults -- reported on the island in 2016, Mackinac Island would rank 343 if the island population is adjusted for tourists, according to the data.

The island ranked 75 in 2015 with only one aggravated assault and one sexual assault, making the crime rate 4.09 per 1,000 residents, according to the FBI's 2015 crime statistics.

In 2014, the island was ranked 13 with five incidents of sexual assault, making the crime rate 10.2 per 1,000 residents.

The FBI itself discourages ranking cities based on violent crime statistics, stating that any comparisons of crime among different locales should take into consideration numerous other factors besides the areas' crime statistics, according to the FBI website.