Breathe easy, Honolulu. When it comes to personal safety, there are only two cities nationwide of similar size that are safer, according to an independent annual review of cities and crime.

Honolulu was ranked third, behind No. 1 San Jose, Calif., and No. 2 El Paso, Texas, among cities of its size (500,000 or more people) in the 12th annual America's Safest/Most Dangerous Cities awards presented Monday by a Lawrence, Kan., publishing and research company.

Honolulu has maintained the same safety record ranking two years in a row, according to the Morgan Quitno Press. As reported earlier this week, the safest city in the country (of 75,000 or more) is Newton, Mass., and the most dangerous is Camden, N.J., of the 369 cities surveyed.

Honolulu's ranking comes after two reports of unusually violent crimes here. The most recent was Saturday when police said a 43-year-old Waipahu man allegedly killed his father and critically injured his mother with a hatchet hours after his father reportedly refused to give him money for drugs. On Oct. 22, a man was severely beaten, and his wife knocked down by two men who had stopped their car in a crosswalk and refused to move so the couple could cross Kapi'olani Boulevard, police said. Charges have been filed in both cases.

Coleen Reeves, a Waimanalo resident, wasn't in the least bit surprised that Honolulu fared so well. Even though she has been burglarized, she still feels Honolulu is a safe place.

"Anywhere you go, there are good and bad people," she said. "You have to believe that things will work out and be all right."

Kalihi resident Bernie Young has mixed feelings on safety in Honolulu. Before she leaves her home, she checks to make sure the doors are locked. It wasn't always that way, she said.

"The Islands aren't getting any better," she said. "We don't have a good reputation here in Kalihi. When I was growing up here, we didn't have to lock our doors."

Brian Hogan, a Hawai'i Kai resident, said he's traveled around the world and felt that Hawai'i was the safest place he's been.

"I feel very safe here," Hogan said. "Overall, the people are much more friendly. The Hawai'i people are willing to help, always smiling and courteous and that gives me a feeling of safety."

Cities are ranked based on crime rates reported to the FBI for six categories: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft, according to Morgan Quitno's 12th annual Safest City Award.

In the company's survey, Honolulu has consistently been in the top three for cities of its size — more than 500,000 population. In 1999 and 2000, Honolulu ranked No. 1.

Camden, N.J., ranked as the most dangerous city two years in a row, had the highest violent crime, murder and robbery rates among cities of 75,000 or more.

"The awards exemplify what can be accomplished when the community and law enforcement work together," Honolulu Police Chief Boisse Correa said. "We all share in the recognition."

Tim McGivern, an 'Aina Haina resident and former city deputy prosecutor, said that after 10 years prosecuting criminals, he has a grittier perspective on crime, but even he feels safe. He said he believes that people are basically good and helpful.

"Violent crime has always been low in Honolulu," McGivern said. "There's a general feeling of aloha and the spirit of aloha and all that. There's a very real aspect to that here."

Reach Suzanne Roig at sroig@honoluluadvertiser.com.