Columbia finds itself in an unenviable position – among the top 20 of the deadliest cities in the U.S., according to a recent CBS News report.
Despite its smaller population in comparison to larger metro areas around the country, Columbia ranked as 17th deadliest city in the nation, with a murder rate of 21.68 per 100,000 residents.
Columbia ranked higher than Cincinnati (No. 19), Atlanta (No. 22), Chicago (No. 28), Newark (No. 30), Milwaukee (No. 36), Dallas (No. 42), Jacksonville (No. 45), and Pittsburgh (No. 58), among others.
FBI data shows a 2.1% increase in South Carolina’s violent crime rate per 100,000 residents in 2019, while nationally, it dipped by 1%.
Murders and nonnegligent manslaughters had risen by nearly 12% in South Carolina between 2018 and 2019, while they continued to decline nationally, on average.
WLTX-TV News19 reported that last year set a record for murders in the state.
Richland County Sheriff's Deputy Chief Stan Smith described the uptick as unprecedented.
"Our murder numbers, if we keep on track, will be substantially greater than they’ve ever been, which is alarming to us,” he told News19.
In Richland County, there were 68 shooting victims reported between January and June of this year, compared to 42 during the same timeframe in 2020.
Will Folks, who previously held the press secretary position in the South Carolina governor’s office, wrote in FITSNews.com that state lawmakers are “soft on crime” and the citizens are paying the price.
"Sadly, state lawmakers still give law enforcement and prosecutors the short shrift when it comes to funding … while the judges appointed by these lawmakers keep making the problem worse," Folks said.
Folks added that Columbia is joined by North Charleston, the third-largest city in the state, on the deadliest municipalities list.
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