It ranked third in the annual city crime rate report from the CQ Press behind Camden, New Jersey and St. Louis. Richmond came in 14th.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors has called the CQ Press report "misleading," and Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums points to a 13 percent drop in the city's crime rate as a sign of progress.
Elsewhere around the Bay Area, San Jose ranked the fourth safest city with more than half a million residents.
