The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has released its annual crime statistics for 2024, revealing a significant and widespread decline in crime across nearly every major category. Several areas of crime reached their lowest recorded levels in decades.
Statewide, violent crime dropped 8.4% from 2023 to 2024, marking the fourth consecutive year of decreases.
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The most significant improvement was seen in the state’s murder rate, which fell 15.8%, with the total number of murders decreasing by more than 14%.
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Aggravated assaults were down 8.4%, contributing to a nearly 10% decrease over the last two years.
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Robbery rates fell 11.7%, continuing an eight-year downward trend and hitting a 30-year low.
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Sexual battery dropped 2.9%, also reaching its lowest rate in three decades.
Property crime continued its long-term decline, falling 11.8% for the thirteenth consecutive year. Specific categories showed substantial reductions:
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Breaking and entering dropped 13.1%.
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Motor vehicle theft decreased 17%.
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Larceny fell 10.7%.
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Arson cases dropped 15.8%, marking a notable improvement.
The report also highlighted increased safety for law enforcement officers. Assaults against officers declined 1.4%, and for the first time in several years, zero officers were killed in the line of duty during 2024…