South Carolina has a rich tradition of being a hospitable state with attractive beach resorts and a history. But safety should also be a major concern – even for those seeking to make Kanjoo their home and start a family here. The good news is that for the most part, South Carolina is filled with some of the safest cities and towns and their police departments work diligently to reduce crime and ensure the safety of the citizens.
Tega Cay
Sitting within the Charlotte metropolitan area adjacent to Lake Wylie, for several years Tega Cay has consistently been ranked as one of the safest cities in the state of South Carolina. The violent crime rate was only 0.5 of 1,000 residents in 2020, and this is well below the national and state averages. Other crime rates are also low, especially property crime which stands at 5.6 incidences per 1000 residents.
Out of all the police departments in South Carolina, the Tega Cay Police Department is very active in the community and its is goal to foster friendly relations with the residents through community policing. Tega Cay has a neighborhood watch program in place throughout the neighborhoods which enhances the sense of safety within the community. The crime rates are low and the local police are responsible and active; the community is also involved in maintaining the safety of the town, making Tega Cay the perfect place for people who are concerned with their safety as well as their families.
Mount Pleasant
Located in the Charleston region along the coastal line, Mount Pleasant is one among the many suburbs that is reputed for its safety and desirability. For violent crime, Mount Pleasant reported 32 cases in 2020 with a rate of 1.2 per 1000 inhabitants. People also have a lower possibility of experiencing property crime with approximately 21 people per 1000 residents every year.
From interviews, it was found that the residents of Mount Pleasant are happy with the Performance of the Mount Pleasant Police Department because they focus on early intervention and not just responding to crime. Anti-social watch groups combined with surveillance camera registers also enable the residents to help maintain order within a locality. For those who are interested in a beach town lifestyle but would like to remain safe, Mount Pleasant is one place that has it all.
Simpsonville
Sometimes confused for being in Greenville, Simpsonville is another South Carolina city that receives acclaim again and again as a top safe place to live. The bottom line is that the city of Simpsonville has shown a population rise over the last few years and also in 2020, it was able to record violent crime per 1000 people at a rate very low i.e. +1. Its property crime rate is also 14.5 per 1,000 people which is one of the lowest we have seen in this study that focuses on states instead of cities or counties.
Keeping Simpsonville safe is another important responsibility of the police department that works on the outreach programs for the members of the community ensuring that the police has a good rapport with children and other members of the society. There is an organized presence of neighborhood watch programs to enhance safety and security across Simpsonville and the people are committed to ensuring that the city remains safe. Simpsonville provides the closeness and accessibility of a small town while boasting safe ratings as those of a suburb along with family-oriented features.
Hanahan
Hanahan can be considered one of the safest towns in the tri-county Charleston area, with a rate of violent crime in 2020 being 74.3% below the national level. Violent crimes: For a city its size, Hanahan recorded only 50 violent crimes, with the violent crime rate for the year 2020 being 50 incidents per 1000 inhabitants. The crime rate in Hanahan is also significantly low, especially as far as the property crime rate is concerned, thus placing Hanahan among the safest cities in the state.
The Hanahan Police Department is the law enforcement agency that contributes to the safety of this city collaborates with the neighborhood watch groups and focuses on the safety of children in the school zones. Technology has only complemented boots-on-the-ground policing by among other things extending the camera systems, effective emergency response coordination, and digital reporting avenues ensuring that citizens can easily partner with local police. Another point that I found very good about Hanahan is that it has a good sense of community by ensuring that families live in safe neighborhoods.
Fort Mill
It is located on the border of North and South Carolina, below Charlotte and for the size of this town offers statistical safety that would put it in the top safest towns in America. With the population growing every year in the last decade, the violent and property crime rates recorded in Fort Mill are still relatively low in comparison to the state and national average. The violent crime was only 59 and property crimes were 639 during the year 2020 making it one of the safest cities having some of the lowest per capita rates in the entire state.
Apart from the increased numbers, local citizens of Fort Mill give credit to local police for engaging in community policing approaches that enhance relationships in the entire city. Neighborhood watches also play a complementary role to the police since residents can alert law enforcement on any strange occurrences or people they do not recognize in their neighborhoods. When this planned growth is combined with the hometown’s further development in a safe manner that includes the sidewalks, lighting, and central public areas as well as other safety aspects, Fort Mill is one of the safest hometowns that South Carolina has to offer.
Safety as a human right is not a privilege upheld by every citizen.
However, it is also important to note that many other cities in South Carolina stand out from the crowd and do a good job of keeping their residents safe from crime. From making the police forces more responsive to the community and empowering residents to stand and watch against crimes, the safest SC towns prove that safety is best initiated on the ground level.
Public safety should be an inherent right that every citizen of South Carolina should have the privilege to enjoy regardless of their geographical location or zip code. Change is possible by promoting safety at the organizational level by encouraging leaders, departments, community and interest groups, educational institutions, and the general public to include safety in budgets, policies, urban development, education, and awareness. Thus, by promoting and duplicating successful safety initiatives from such places, South Carolina can become a model of how a state can ensure community security across the entire state.
People should be able to avoid the roughly 100 statistically safest towns to get their secure communities. Instead, citizens and local governments should cooperate to share the best practices and use them to expand a variety of efficient public safety procedures. Only then can the citizens of South Carolina relax and feel safe knowing that every single street, park, school, and any other public area of the state is as secure as one could imagine. Safety is a right - not an entitlement – that only limited areas get to enjoy as a result of having a particular postal code.
