Safety in Westchester
Westchester doesn’t have its own police figures in the FBI’s data. A place this size usually has its own police department, so its reports are most likely missing from the FBI’s tables. Below are the county’s figures for the wider area.
What stands out about safety in Westchester
The county’s figures, for the wider area
Westchester’s own police figures aren’t in the FBI’s data. These are the numbers the Porter County Sheriff’s Office reports for the parts of Porter County it patrols, which usually don’t include a town with its own police.
Crimes reported in the parts of Porter 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.
Westchester and its neighbors
How reported crime compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its safety page.
| Town | Grade | Violent | Property | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage | B− | 2.5 | 11.3 | 2025 |
| Chesterton | — | 0.9 | 4.9 | 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: Burns Harbor, Pine, Portage, Liberty, Beverly Shores, Jackson.
Know who to call, and what the weather can do
For emergencies, the nearest ER, and the storms and floods Westchester plans for.
Expected damage is higher than in 26% of U.S. communities. 11 paid flood insurance claims since 1980.
Natural hazards in Westchester →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 Westchester.
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.