Tops in violent crime

FBI statistics released recently listed South Carolina as the state with the highest rate of violent crime in 2007, the second straight year that depressing distinction has fallen to us. At least we're still ahead of the District of Columbia.

There is no single or easy solution to this persisting problem. The efforts of law-enforcement officials and political leaders to lower that rate, and that ranking, can't succeed without the public's cooperation.

Our state's rate of violent crimes (788 per 100,000 people) last year was nearly 69 percent higher than the U.S. rate (467 per 100,000 people), according to those FBI figures. Experts caution against using such numbers for comparison purposes, citing the differing methods in how they're compiled in each community. ...

The extraordinary level of violence that is reflected in the statistics should be an affront to every South Carolinian. It's not only a crime problem but a challenge to the state's quality of life, and to the expectation of residents to live securely within their communities.

This story was originally published September 20, 2008 at 12:45 AM with the headline "Tops in violent crime."