S.C. tops list in violence, but glimmers of improvement appear

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South Carolina topped the list of states for violent crimes per capita in the FBI's latest Crime in the United States release.

According to the report, South Carolina had some 788 violent crimes for every 100,000 people, meaning there was nearly one violent crime committed for every 100 people.

Yikes.

The Post and Courier has some good analysis on what this means. Unsurprisingly, the report has created calls for more funding for the justice system. But, unless the Legislature can find a solution to budget problem, those agencies may instead face a 3% cut.

But it's not all doom and gloom, as the North Charleston Police Department reported yesterday that violent crime has dropped the first half of this year by 20%. Good news for a city that has statistically landed in the top 20 most dangerous cities with some increasing frequency.

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