I didn’t know there WERE 20 ‘cities’ in SC

Trashed: A room in my parents' beach house after the break-in in 2016.

Trashed: A room in my parents’ beach house after the 2016 break-in.

I received a release this morning from something called “SafeWise” announcing the “20 Safest Cities in South Carolina,” based on “2016 FBI crime report statistics and population data.”

I immediately assume that this report is using the term “city” loosely, since I was not aware South Carolina had that many of them.

And my assumption is correct, as the No. 1 safest “city” on the list is Isle of Palms, population 4,419. My home town Bennettsville has a population of 9,425, and I have never thought of it as a major metropolitan area.

Anyway, only one place most of us think of, right off the bat, as a “city” in SC makes the list, and that’s Charleston. It comes in 20th. Mount Pleasant, an actual city we are slightly less likely to think of, comes in 6th. So nice going, there.

I was amused to see that Surfside Beach came in third. That’s because in 2016, the year the statistics cover, my parents’ home there was broken into and completely trashed in the search for things worth stealing. The same suspect apparently broke into my uncle’s house nearby — twice.

But I guess such things happen in other places more frequently.

And no, I’m not entirely sure what “SafeWise” is. The release is only moderately helpful. It says, “SafeWise helps families and communities make informed decisions about safety solutions.” As you see, some words are missing. It should say, “SafeWise is a _____ that helps families and communities make informed decisions about safety solutions.”

But if you’re really curious, you can peruse their website.

5 thoughts on “I didn’t know there WERE 20 ‘cities’ in SC”

  1. Barry

    South Carolina ranks in the top 10 for suspected fraud for all types/lines of insurance. SC has 4 insurance fraud investigators. (NC has 20). SC’s insurance fraud budget is $354,000. NC’s is $2.8 million. Virginia’s is $5.3 million. As a result, car insurance premiums for the 10 largest auto insurers increased 8.9% in SC in 2016.

    1. Bart

      Did you read about the car crash scam that was busted in Charleston recently? Based on the information you provided, with a miniscule budget and just 4 investigators, it is a wonder the scammers were caught. We have good insurance with a very reputable company but still are subject to paying higher premiums because of the lax attitude toward accident investigations, break-ins, and personal injury claims.

  2. Rose

    I don’t think city vs town is decided solely on population. Lexington is a town with a population of about 18000 within the town limits. Camden is a city with a population of about 7000.

Comments are closed.