Manhattan Ranked 6th Safest City in Illinois; Police Chief Warns of Traffic Accidents

Village of Manhattan Board Meeting | February 17, 2026

Article Summary: Mayor Mike Adrieansen announced that Manhattan has been ranked the 6th safest city in Illinois by SafeWise. Despite the accolade, Police Chief Jeff Gulli expressed serious concerns regarding a high number of traffic accidents in January, including a fatal crash that occurred during the board meeting.

Public Safety Key Points:

• Safety Ranking: Manhattan rose from 12th to 6th in the SafeWise rankings for safest cities in Illinois.

• Grant Award: The Police Department secured a $20,000 grant from the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board for body cameras and data storage.

• Traffic Concerns: There were 15 accidents reported in January 2026.

• Fatal Crash: Chief Gulli reported a likely fatal accident occurred at Manhattan-Monee Road and Schoolhouse Road while the meeting was in session.

During the Village Board meeting on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, Mayor Mike Adrieansen announced that the Village of Manhattan has moved up in state safety rankings.

“Manhattan has been recognized as one of the top 10 safest cities in Illinois,” Adrieansen said. “According to the latest study by SafeWise, our village is ranked sixth… maintaining a strong standing among Illinois municipalities.”

Adrieansen credited Police Chief Jeff Gulli and the department for their dedication. Gulli noted that while crimes against persons were down over 10%, crimes against property saw a slight increase of 2.6%.

“We’ll get to number one. We’re working on it,” Gulli told the Board.

However, Gulli emphasized a growing concern regarding traffic safety. The monthly report indicated 15 accidents occurred in January.

“That’s super concerning considering the speed limits have lowered,” Gulli said. “We’re working on fixing that, but as we speak, we just had another likely fatal accident at Manhattan-Monee [Road] and Schoolhouse [Road] that we’re assisting on right now.”

Gulli urged the public to adhere to speed limits. “It’s for everybody’s safety, not just for us to pull you over,” he said.

The Board also learned that the police department successfully obtained a $20,000 grant to help offset the costs of state-mandated body cameras and data storage.