Crime across South Carolina is on the decline, with some types reaching a 30-year low, according to a newly released 2024 crime report by the State Law Enforcement Division.
Violent crime throughout the state dropped by 8.4% from 2023 to 2024 — the fourth year in a row of declining violent incidents. The murder rate saw an even larger improvement, plunging 15.8% in 2024 compared to 2023, according to the report released Friday.
Major declines were also seen in robbery, which fell by 11.7% from 2,165 incidents to 1,949 — the lowest rate in thirty years. Aggravated assaults fell by 8.4% from 21,107 to 19,710, while sexual battery cases also reached a thirty-year low, with a 2.9% decrease from 2,114 to 2,092 in 2024, SLED reports…