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."

RELATED: Sumter neighborhood establishes memorial to honor 3 children shot and killed in their home last spring

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 NC? ›

Sumter Annual Crimes
ViolentProperty
Number of Crimes3761,372
Crime Rate (per 1,000 residents)8.7932.09

Which state had the highest homicide rate? ›

Murder rates in red states were 33% higher than in blue states in both 2021 and 2022. As in 2019 and 2020, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama hold the first, second, and third highest murder rates in the country, respectively.

How many murders in Philadelphia in 2024? ›

As of April 30, there were 87 reported homicides in Philadelphia in 2024, down 35 percent from the same time last year, according to data from police.

Which of the following crimes has the highest rate of being reported to the police? ›

The crime with the highest rate of reporting to law enforcement is homicide. This is because homicide involves the taking of a human life, making it the most serious crime. Most homicides come to the attention of the police and are more likely to lead to an arrest compared to other crimes.

Which city in NC has the most homicides? ›

Well, it's actually not Charlotte. A recent study by our friends at WalletHub determined the city with the highest homicide rates in the US. And it was a different North Carolina city that actually made the highest homicide rates list- Raleigh.

What city in NC has the lowest crime rate? ›

According to NeighborhoodScout, here are the NC towns with the lowest crime per capita. Lansing: With a population of 126 residents, Lansing earns the honor of being the safest town in North Carolina. To give you an idea of the bustling life you'd lead there, it contains exactly one stop sign.

What is the #1 crime state in America? ›

States with the highest and lowest crime rates

New Mexico had the highest violent crime rate of any state at 780.5 incidences per 100,000 residents, followed by Alaska (758.9), Arkansas (645.3), Louisiana (628.6), and Tennessee (621.6).

What city has the most murders in 2024? ›

St. Louis, MO

What city has the most murders? ›

St. Louis, Missouri has the highest murder rate of any US city of 69.4 murders per 100,000 people.

Is Philly a good place to live? ›

One of the top reasons people enjoy living here is East Coast living with affordable housing and a good job market. Many also love the big city amenities and unique charm. Philadelphia is rich in arts and culture, as well as dining opportunities, history and outdoor experiences.

Where does Philadelphia rank in crime? ›

Philadelphia takes the number 40 spot on the most dangerous cities list. Chicago had the highest number of homicides in 2018 with 563; almost double that of New York, which has triple the population as Chicago. A city with a high violent crime rate does not indicate that the entire city is unsafe.

How many murders in the US per year? ›

There was a total of 21,156 reported homicide cases in the U.S. in 2022. When looking at murder victims by gender and ethnicity, the vast majority were male, while just over half of victims were African American.

Who has the most felonies in the United States? ›

(2017) show that while the share of the total U.S. adult population with felony records is about 8 percent, the share of Black adults is about 23 percent. This rate is even higher for Black men, where one-third (33 percent) have a felony record (Shannon et al., 2017).

Who has the highest crime rate in the US? ›

The article explores the 10 most dangerous cities in the United States for the year 2024 based on data analysis of violent crime rates, including homicide, robbery, and assault. Detroit, Michigan, tops the list with a staggering violent crime rate, followed by cities like Memphis, Tennessee, and Baltimore, Maryland.

What is the highest federal crime? ›

Treason is considered the most serious criminal offense a person can commit against the federal government.

Is Sumter a good area? ›

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.

Is North Carolina crime rate high? ›

North Carolina's overall crime rate falls 16th in some state rankings regarding violent and non-violent crimes. While this level is a starting point for understanding crime, there can be significant variations within the state. Urban environments can have higher crime rates than rural areas.

Where is it safe to live in North Carolina? ›

Pinehurst

The town's low crime rate and lush landscaping make it a serene place to call home. In 2014 Pinehurst was awarded the honor of “The Safest Place to Live in North Carolina” for the second consecutive year. Be sure to check out all the new homes in the Pinehurst area.

What is the racial makeup of Sumter, SC? ›

Population & Diversity

In 2022, there were 1.03 times more Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) residents (48k people) in Sumter County, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 46.7k White (Non-Hispanic) and 3.99k Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

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