And now for some really good news: 2012 was among the safest in the history of Cambridge. In a city of 106,000 people, only 3,478 serious crimes were reported last year. That number marks a decrease from 2011’s 3,567 serious crimes, which was also an historic low. You can find the last eight years of Cambridge annual crime reports here.

As Marc Levy at the Cambridge Day points out, there are still some unsolved serious crimes from last year, and as Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert Haas has said, the department is taking an “all hands on deck” approach to bring perpetrators to justice. But while there is still work left to be done, I want to commend the Cambridge Police Department along with our schoolteachers, coaches, mentors, tutors, and parents for helping to make Cambridge an even better place to live.