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.
State officials attribute the strong numbers to significant progress in crime reduction efforts and expressed optimism that this positive downward trend will continue.
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