Safety in Highlands
Highlands doesn’t have its own police figures in the FBI’s data. It’s most likely covered by the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. Below is what it reports.
What stands out about safety in Highlands
Read from the numbers below. The page puts what stands out first.
Highlands is covered by the county
Highlands has no police department of its own in the FBI’s data. Calls here most likely go to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, and its numbers cover the whole area it patrols, not just Highlands.
Crimes reported in the parts of San Mateo County it patrols: the towns and villages without police of their own.
Property crimes (burglary, theft, stolen cars)
Violent crimes (assault, robbery, rape, murder)
These are counts, not rates. The FBI doesn’t publish how many people each agency covers, so we can’t turn them into a per-resident figure or a Safety Grade. Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, offenses known to law enforcement by county and by state agency.
Highlands and its neighbors
How reported crime compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its safety page.
| Town | Grade | Violent | Property | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Mateo | C | 1.7 | 14.9 | 2025 |
| Hillsborough | A− | 0.4 | 4.7 | 2025 |
Reported crimes per 1,000 residents in each town’s latest year; * = a count, for towns under 1,000 people; — = not graded. No town figures in the FBI’s data: Baywood Park.
Know who to call, and what the weather can do
For emergencies, the nearest ER, and the storms and floods Highlands plans for.
Expected damage is higher than in 84% of U.S. communities.
Natural hazards in Highlands →Phone numbers come from neighbors and the town’s own site (the Handbook). A number you add goes live once two neighbors confirm it.
Heads-up board
Neighbors looking out for each other in Highlands.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Please don’t name or describe individuals. In an emergency, call 911.
Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: offenses known to law enforcement by city, and state and national rates. Counts are crimes reported to police, not convictions. The Safety Grade is our own summary of that data, not an official rating. Natural hazards: FEMA National Risk Index and flood insurance claims. Hospitals: CMS Hospital General Information. This isn’t an official statement of public safety. In an emergency, call 911.