Homicides increase by 150% in Sumter, according to police department annual report (2024)

15 people were murdered in Sumter in 2023, according to the 47-page annual report. Police Chief Russell Roark said this is largely due to one particular incident.

SUMTER, S.C. — Homicides increased 150% in one year in Sumter, according to anannual report from the Sumter Police Department.

Lindley Hodge and D.J. Nance have lived in Sumter their whole life but say when it comes to the local police department, they don't know much about what officers are up to.

"I feel like I'm not in the loop in any of it," Nance said.

Hodge added, "I don't feel like I know much about it."

Thanks to the 47–page document, residents can see the department's work in 2023, from crime trends to community engagement efforts.

"I think that's great. I think that the community should know because if you're a little bit more in the know, you feel a little bit more safe I feel like," Hodge explained. "I didn't even know that that was a thing that was available to the public, so I would love to know personally."

Police Chief Russell Roark said the number of homicides in the city increased in 2023 overall, totaling 15. But Roark said that's because of one incident that happened in March.

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"It's important for them to know what their police department's doing but also what is occurring in their community, the things that we're doing to address those issues, but also put into context how those numbers are tabulated, and what they really mean," Roark said. "It's really an anomaly for us to have that level of numbers of homicides in our city. We average traditionally six to eight. And it was just a terrible year, particularly with this one homicide. We had three children, another gentleman was murdered there, then a suicide. It really left a mark on our community. It was something that was really difficult to deal with."

Roark said the tragedy left an emotional mark on the community and influenced the statistics. But despite the increased numbers, the public isn't facing any increased danger.

"All of our homicides with the exception of one were either related by previous relationships, or they associated together. It wasn't a random act of violence whereby someone was killed," Roark said. "Crimes against persons are very difficult to police. Oftentimes, they happen within the family unit or there's a relationship between the victims and the perpetrators."

"It's driven by, in most cases, by domestic violence; it can be driven by other criminal activity," he added. "And unless we're there it's very difficult to police that. You know, with property crimes…you can sort of do a prediction of the time of year they go up where and then apply some strategy to deal with them. But the human factor of one person killing another is very, very difficult to predict and to police."

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Another statistic that increased is auto break-ins. Roark said an easy way to prevent those is to remove anything valuable and lock your car. The auto breaking-and-entering (B&E) increased by 91% from 2022.

"We don't want to appear as if we're blaming the victim," Roark said. "We're in no way doing that. But we can do some things to protect ourselves and protect our property by simply locking our cars and in particular weapons. Many of the auto b and e's occur just for that purpose is to find a firearm. If we could secure off our firearms in our residence, but lock your car even if it's in your own driveway. That will protect yourself."

"If you leave your car anywhere, lock it. If you have something of value, particularly a firearm or computer, your cell phone, your purse, remove that from the vehicle," he added. "Placing your purse under the seat is not going to prevent it from being stolen if the car's broken into, but remove your key fob. We've had 69 vehicles stolen last year because the keys were left in them."

Roark said these crimes tend to increase during hunting season around this time of year. Specifically, he noted pick-up trucks are often targets.

"The perpetrators believe that pick-up trucks are associated with hunting and there's weapons inside, so that's usually a target of those individuals in those during hunting season," Roark said.

Resident Angel Jackson said her vehicle was broken into and hopes to see this number lowered in the next year.

"A lot of those things happened to me, you know?" Jackson said. "So I hope that they crack down on that."

To achieve that, Roark said his team focuses on the "Three E's"—evaluating the data, educating officers, and implementing enforcement strategies.

In 2023, Sumter Police reported 131 stolen car reports, including 12 Kias and 11 Hyundais. To address those auto break-ins, which the department said are the biggest targets for thieves, Sumter Police has partnered with Hyundai to offer 240 free steering wheel locks to local residents who have Hyundai models from 2011 to 2022.

To pick up a lock, you can call 803-436-2717.

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Homicides increase by 150% in Sumter, according to police department annual report (2024)

FAQs

Homicides increase by 150% in Sumter, according to police department annual report? ›

Homicides increase by 150% in Sumter, according to police department annual report. 15 people were murdered in Sumter in 2023, according to the 47-page annual report. Police Chief Russell Roark said this is largely due to one particular incident.

What is the crime rate in Sumter SC? ›

With a crime rate of 41 per one thousand residents, Sumter has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes - from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One's chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 24.

Which state had the highest homicide rate? ›

Jump to section… The murder crisis continues to be far higher in red states in 2021 and 2022. Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama continue to dominate the top three spots. Even when large cities are removed from red states, murder rates are still higher.

What are majority of homicides in the United States perpetrated with? ›

Handguns are by far the most common murder weapon used in the United States, accounting for 7,936 homicides in 2022. This is followed by firearms of an unstated type, with 5,704 cases in that year.

What is the violent crime rate per 100 000 in the US? ›

Which kinds of crime are most and least common? Property crime in the U.S. is much more common than violent crime. In 2022, the FBI reported a total of 1,954.4 property crimes per 100,000 people, compared with 380.7 violent crimes per 100,000 people.

What county in SC has the most crime? ›

Dillon County is the most crime-ridden county, with 1,010.7 violent crimes per 100,000 people.

What percentage of Sumter SC is black? ›

Race & Ethnicity

The largest Sumter racial/ethnic groups are Black (47.1%) followed by White (39.5%) and Hispanic (7.3%).

What is the #1 crime state in America? ›

While murders surged during COVID-19, there was a 6.1% year-over-year decline in murders and non-negligent manslaughter in 2022. New Mexico, the most dangerous state, has more than six times the rate of violent crime per 1,000 people than New Hampshire, the least dangerous state.

Which US city has most murders? ›

Cook County, Illinois, home to Chicago and its metropolitan area, had 929 homicides in 2022 — the most in the nation.

What state has the lowest homicides? ›

New Hampshire, the state with the lowest rate, has a murder rate of 1.1 per 100,000 inhabitants, with states like Vermont (1.5) and Maine (1.7) tailing closely. There's a clear discrepancy in murder rates among states with large metropolis areas when compared to less densely populated regions.

What are the top 3 crimes in America? ›

Top 20 Most Common Crimes in the United States
  • Drug Abuse and Trafficking. Drug abuse and trafficking involve the illegal possession, distribution, and sale of drugs. ...
  • Assault. Assault is a violent crime that involves intentional or reckless bodily harm to another person. ...
  • DUI/DWI. ...
  • Burglary. ...
  • Theft. ...
  • Fraud. ...
  • Robbery. ...
  • Embezzlement.
Mar 3, 2023

What is the biggest crime group in the United States? ›

Historically, the largest organized crime force in the United States has been Cosa Nostra (Italian-American Mafia), but other transnational criminal organizations have also risen in prominence in recent decades.

What country has the most murders? ›

Top 10 Countries With the Highest Homicide Rates
RankCountryHomicide Rate per 100,000 People
1🇯🇲 Jamaica53.3
2🇻🇨 St. Vincent and the Grenadines40.4
3🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago39.5
4🇱🇨 Saint Lucia36.7
7 more rows
Mar 29, 2024

What city in the US has the lowest crime rate? ›

#1: Greenwich, Connecticut. Greenwich earns the title of safest city in the United States, based on 2022 data. Its violent and property crime rates are a fraction of the Connecticut state averages, which are already lower than the national average. Residents love the coastal location and proximity to New York City.

What is the most serious crime? ›

Felonies are the most serious crimes. They are either supported by a heinous intent, like the intent to kill, or accompanied by an extremely serious result, such as loss of life, grievous injury, or destruction of property. Felonies are serious, so they are graded the highest, and all sentencing options are available.

What is the most common crime in the world? ›

The top 10 common crimes in the world incorporate theft, thievery, burglary, attack, misrepresentation, defacing, drug-related offenses, cybercrime, crime, and aggressive behavior at home.

Is Sumter, SC a good place to live? ›

The City of Sumter was recognized as one of the best places to live in the state along with major cities along the coast and Upstate.

What is Sumter SC famous for? ›

As a center of commerce in South Carolina's east central region, Sumter's is known for its biotech industry, textiles, healthcare, agriculture, retail establishments, and of course, Shaw Air Force Base. Sumter is the now the eighth-largest city in South Carolina and is at the center of it all!

What is the cost of living in Sumter SC? ›

CategorySumterU.S. Average
Rent$955 (-27.22%)$1,214.95
Mortgage$808.9 (-54.47%)$1,249.52
Gas$2.68 (-4.58%)$2.8
Energy Bill$251.27 (+31.81%)$171.33
7 more rows

What is the safest county to live in in South Carolina? ›

Greenville County

#1 Best Counties to Live in South Carolina.

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