South Carolina’s newly released 2024 Crime in South Carolina Report confirms what many communities have felt over the past year. Crime is declining across the state, and those gains are the direct result of the hard work of the men and women who put on the badge each day. Violent crime fell by 8.4 percent, marking the fourth consecutive year of reductions and the lowest violent crime rate since the mid-1990s. Murder declined by 15.8 percent, aggravated assaults dropped to their lowest point since 2018, and several offenses, including sexual battery, robbery, and burglary, reached 30-year lows.
These numbers reflect a level of commitment from our officers that deserves recognition and gratitude. Officers continue to respond to calls at all hours, take dangerous offenders off the streets, and protect families in every part of South Carolina. Their work is the primary reason crime is going down in this state.
Public safety cannot be taken for granted. Progress occurs when dedicated officers respond, act decisively, and remain vigilant even as many agencies operate without full staffing and rely heavily on overtime. South Carolina is moving in the right direction because our officers are working harder than ever. At the same time, these gains remain fragile. Without meaningful investment in salaries, equipment, training, and legislative protections for law enforcement, we risk losing the momentum that has made our communities safer.
The record declines in crime tell a clear story. When officers are supported, communities thrive. Public safety is not only a moral obligation, it is a foundation for economic development. Businesses consider safety when choosing where to build facilities and bring jobs. They invest in communities where employees and customers will be secure. If South Carolina wants to remain competitive, we must continue strengthening the law enforcement profession.
That means confronting our statewide staffing crisis directly. Agencies across South Carolina continue to lose skilled officers to the private sector and to other jurisdictions that offer stronger pay and benefits. Recruitment and retention are now central to public safety. When agencies are fully staffed, response times improve, proactive policing increases, and investigations move faster. Violent offenders are identified and arrested sooner. The declines we see today are remarkable, and officers are achieving them even while many agencies struggle to fill vacancies. Imagine the results when every agency has the personnel and resources it truly needs.
The General Assembly has already taken steps that matter, and multi-year legislative efforts have contributed to the progress highlighted in this year’s report. However, more work remains. Officers still need the Helping Alleviate Lawful Obstruction (HALO) Act, which would create a specific offense for impeding, interfering with, threatening, or harassing a first responder who is lawfully performing their duties. This type of legislation ensures first responders have the space and security they need to manage dangerous scenes safely.
We also need to strengthen retirement-related policies that help agencies keep experienced officers serving our communities. Return-to-Work provisions and realistic cost-of-living adjustments are enhancements to retirement benefits that recognize the value of seasoned officers who continue to serve even after reaching retirement eligibility. These tools help agencies retain the kind of experience that cannot be replaced quickly.
Our K9 partners deserve attention as well. Fargo’s and Hyco’s Law, including its updated versions now under consideration, would stiffen penalties, broaden the conduct that is prohibited, and require restitution when someone taunts, injures, or kills a police dog or horse. K9s are not equipment. They are partners who stand between violent criminals and the public, and they deserve protections that reflect the risks they face.
The report also shows that assaults on officers declined only slightly compared to the previous year. That small change is not enough to be considered a meaningful improvement for the men and women who still face violence in the line of duty. The danger to officers remains very real, even in a year when overall crime is down.
We are thankful that no officers were murdered in South Carolina in 2024. Unfortunately, 2025 has already reminded us how quickly circumstances can change. This year, we have lost three officers, including one to gunfire. These losses are a sobering reminder that every traffic stop, every domestic call, and every response to a suspicious person carries risk. The price of complacency is measured in lives.
Harry S. Truman once said, “America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.” South Carolina’s officers embody that spirit every day. Their work is difficult, often dangerous, and always essential to the safety and stability of our communities. The progress highlighted in this year’s crime report exists because they continue to meet every challenge with professionalism and determination.
Now it is our responsibility to match their commitment with action. That means supporting legislation that protects officers and first responders, strengthening retirement and reemployment policies that retain experience, and establishing stronger protections for our K9 partners. It also means community members standing up for law enforcement, speaking out in support of those who serve, and recognizing that sustained safety requires sustained investment.
Crime is down because officers are working hard. If we want that trend to continue, we must stand with them, invest in them, and ensure that every agency in South Carolina has the staffing and resources needed to keep our communities safe.
You can read the full 2024 Crime in South Carolina Report at
http://www.sled.sc.gov/crimestatistics
