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by JENN WOOD
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For the fourth year in a row, violent crime in South Carolina has declined, according to a newly released report published by the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED). The statewide violent crime rate in the Palmetto State fell 8.4% from 2023 to 2024, reaching its lowest point since 1995.
This decline was driven by significant decreases across nearly every major violent crime category. The most substantial drop came in murder, which fell by 15.8%, from 481 killings in 2023 to 413 in 2024 — the lowest number recorded since 2018. Aggravated assaults also declined to their lowest levels since 2018, while sexual battery and robbery fell to 30-year lows.
According to SLED’s report, every major type of violent crime tracked by the agency decreased last year:
- Murder: Down 14.1% in total; down 15.8% per capita
- Aggravated Assault: Down 6.6% in total; lowest since 2018
- Robbery: Down 10%; lowest robbery rate in 30 years
- Sexual Battery: Down 2.9%; also at a 30-year low
SLED chief Mark Keel credited a continuing legislative focus on criminal justice — along with statewide data reporting improvements — for contributing to the downward trend.
“The data shows crime across the board is down,” Keel said in the agency’s release. “Our work is not done. One area I remain very concerned about is violent crime committed by young people with guns.”
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A DRAMATIC REVERSAL
For the past decade, South Carolina experienced relentless increases in weapon law violations — including a 129.7% spike from 2014 to 2023. That trend ended abruptly in 2024.
According to SLED, weapon law violations fell by 30.4% — the first decline after ten straight years of increases. Of all weapon-related offenses, 67% involved firearms, and at least 68% of those firearms were handguns.
Despite the statewide decline, Keel warned of a troubling pattern beneath the overall improvement:
- 41% of the 9,612 individuals arrested for weapon law violations in 2024 were under the age of 25.
“This is deeply alarming to me,” Keel said — highlighting the persistent challenge of youth gun violence despite falling crime rates.
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PROPERTY CRIME DECLINE CONTINUES
In addition to gains on the violent crime front, SLED reported the 13th consecutive yearly decline in property crime statewide. Overall property, crime dropped 11.8% from 2023 to 2024.
Among the most notable reductions:
- Breaking & Entering: Down 13.1%
- Larceny: Down 10.7%
- Motor Vehicle Theft: Down 17%; lowest rate in 30 years
- Arson: Down 15.8%
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RELATED | 2022 SOUTH CAROLINA CRIME REPORT
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WHERE CRIME WAS HIGHEST – AND LOWEST – IN 2024
According to SLED’s summary section, statewide averages mask dramatic differences in public safety from one part of South Carolina to another.
Crime rates varied widely across the Palmetto State’s 46 counties in 2024, reflecting a patchwork of local conditions — from long-struggling rural communities grappling with persistent violence to fast-growing suburban areas experiencing historically low crime. The data shows clusters of high-intensity violent crime in several eastern and Midlands counties, while other regions — particularly along the state’s western border — reported some of the lowest violent crime rates seen anywhere in South Carolina.
Highest Violent Crime Rates (per 10,000 citizens):
- Dillon County – 118.58
- Orangeburg County – 111.27
- Lee County – 97.13
- Marlboro County – 90.99
- Marion County – 87.07
Lowest Violent Crime Rates (per 10,000 citizens):
- Edgefield County – 5.77
- Calhoun County – 8.42
- Pickens County – 18.81
- Saluda County – 19.54
- McCormick County – 22.04
Counties With the Largest Decreases in Violent Crime Rates:
- Calhoun County – down 69.23%
- Allendale County – down 28.57%
- Saluda County – down 26.92%
- Georgetown County – down 26.65%
- Edgefield County – down 26.09%
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WHAT THE DATA MEANS FOR SOUTH CAROLINA
The 2024 crime data tells a story of meaningful statewide progress — especially when viewed against the backdrop of pandemic-era spikes in violence. Murder, robbery, sexual battery, aggravated assault, and property crime all fell to their lowest levels in years (or decades). Weapon law violations — one of the state’s most stubborn categories — finally reversed course.
Still, the picture is far from uniformly positive. Youth gun offending remains a glaring red flag, and pockets of South Carolina continue to struggle with disproportionately high violent crime rates.
Count on FITSNews to continue digging into the numbers — county by county — and to continue pressing policymakers on the structural reforms needed to sustain progress and strengthen public safety in the Palmetto State.
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THE REPORT
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
As a private investigator turned journalist, Jenn Wood brings a unique skill set to FITSNews as its research director. Known for her meticulous sourcing and victim-centered approach, she helps shape the newsroom’s most complex investigative stories while producing the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts. Jenn lives in South Carolina with her family, where her work continues to spotlight truth, accountability, and justice.
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2 comments
Allen Wilson needs to replaced. The office he holds requires someone with integrity and intelligence.
People that have experienced a hostile situation need to have sense enough to turn and go another way…if you lack intelligence, I suppose you follow the smoke til you’re engulfed by a huge forest fire from which you can’t escape. By all means, realize you should have gone the other way and let the fire go out!