Safety in Prior Lake
One of the first things people ask when they’re considering a move is whether the town feels safe. Fair question. Here’s what the numbers say about Prior Lake, with some context so you can actually make sense of them.
The big picture
Prior Lake’s overall crime rate runs about 21% below the national average. The violent crime rate is approximately 158 per 100,000 residents, which is well below the national average. The city employs 26 sworn police officers serving a population of roughly 28,000.
In community surveys, 88% of Prior Lake residents report feeling safe. That tracks with what you see day-to-day here. People walk the trails after dark, kids ride bikes to the park, and nobody thinks twice about leaving a garage door open while they run to Cub Foods.
That said, no town is crime-free. Property crime is the most common issue, and car break-ins happen the same way they do across the rest of the metro. Lock your car, don’t leave valuables visible, and you’re ahead of most problems.
How Prior Lake compares to nearby cities
Numbers without context don’t tell you much. Here’s how Prior Lake’s violent crime rate stacks up against the cities people compare it to most often:
- Savage: ~75 per 100,000
- Lakeville: ~77 per 100,000
- Shakopee: ~135 per 100,000
- Prior Lake: ~158 per 100,000
- Burnsville: ~279 per 100,000
- National average: ~370 per 100,000
Prior Lake lands in the middle of its immediate neighbors. Savage and Lakeville come in lower. Shakopee is close. Burnsville, as a larger and more urban city, runs higher. All of these south metro suburbs are well below the national average.
A few things to keep in mind with these comparisons. Year-to-year crime data can swing quite a bit in smaller cities. One incident can move the rate noticeably when you’re working with a population of 28,000. The overall trend matters more than any single year’s number. For deeper city-by-city comparisons, check out the Prior Lake vs Savage, Prior Lake vs Lakeville, Prior Lake vs Shakopee, and Prior Lake vs Burnsville pages.
Police department
The Prior Lake Police Department operates out of City Hall and covers the city with 26 sworn officers. The department handles its own patrol, investigations, and community engagement. Response times are what you’d expect from a suburban department that doesn’t have to cover a huge geographic area.
The department also runs community programs, including National Night Out events (usually well-attended here), a community academy for residents, and routine patrols at schools and parks. Scott County Sheriff’s Office provides backup and handles some countywide services.
What it actually feels like
I’ve lived here my entire life, and the honest answer is that Prior Lake feels safe. That’s a subjective statement, and I know it. But the experience lines up with the data. People use the parks after sunset. Kids walk to school. Neighborhoods are quiet. The annual Prior Lake Plunge raises over $3 million for Special Olympics because thousands of people show up to jump into a frozen lake together. That’s the kind of town this is.
I’m not going to oversell it. Prior Lake is a suburb of a major metro area, and metro-area problems show up here occasionally. Package theft, car break-ins, the occasional more serious incident. But those are the exception, not the pattern. The pattern is a suburban community where most people feel comfortable and the police department is accessible and responsive.
Emergency services
Beyond police, Prior Lake is served by the Prior Lake Fire Department (a combination career and paid-on-call department) and Scott County emergency services. The nearest hospitals with full ERs are in Shakopee (about 10 minutes) and Burnsville (about 15 minutes).
The city uses a notification system for emergencies, weather alerts, and road closures. If you’re new to town, sign up early. It’s one of those things that’s worth having before you need it.
Keep exploring
- Prior Lake vs Savage
- Prior Lake vs Lakeville
- Prior Lake vs Shakopee
- Prior Lake vs Burnsville
- Neighborhoods Overview
- Schools & District Info
- Things To Do
- New to Prior Lake? Start Here
Thinking about making the move? I’ve been here 40 years and selling homes here for 22. Happy to answer questions, no strings attached: mark@priorlakeevents.com
For current housing market data including neighborhood-level pricing, see PriorLake.RealEstate.