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Violent Crime Trends in Easley, SC: A Decade of Fluctuations Amid Population Growth
CATEGORY
Crime
DATA
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
Loading Content...
Crime
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
Easley, located in South Carolina, has experienced notable changes in its violent crime landscape over the past decade. From 2010 to 2022, the total number of violent crimes fluctuated, starting at 70 in 2010, peaking at 131 in 2016, and settling at 85 in 2022, representing a 21.4% increase over the 12-year period. During this same timeframe, the population grew from 29,457 in 2010 to 32,038 in 2022, an 8.8% increase.
Murder rates in the city have shown variability over the years. The number of murders ranged from 0 to 3 annually, with the highest count occurring in 2012. When considering murders per 1,000 people, the rate peaked at 0.10 in 2012 and was 0.03 in 2022. The city's contribution to state-wide murders fluctuated, reaching a high of 2.34% in 2012 and falling to 0.38% in 2022. This suggests that while murder remains a concern, its occurrence relative to the state has decreased in recent years.
Rape incidents have shown a generally decreasing trend. The number of reported rapes decreased from 10 in 2012 to 5 in 2022, a 50% reduction. The rate per 1,000 people fell from 0.34 in 2012 to 0.16 in 2022. The city's percentage of state-wide rapes also decreased from 1.94% in 2012 to 0.63% in 2022, indicating a significant improvement in this area relative to the rest of the state.
Robbery trends have remained relatively stable. The number of robberies was 10 in 2010 and 6 in 2022, with some fluctuations in between, peaking at 15 in 2017. The robbery rate per 1,000 people decreased slightly from 0.34 in 2010 to 0.19 in 2022. The city's contribution to state-wide robberies increased marginally from 0.37% in 2010 to 0.53% in 2022, suggesting a slight uptick in the city's share of state robberies despite the overall decrease in numbers.
Aggravated assault has shown the most significant changes among violent crimes. The number of aggravated assaults increased from 54 in 2010 to 73 in 2022, a 35.2% increase. The rate per 1,000 people rose from 1.83 in 2010 to 2.28 in 2022. The city's percentage of state-wide aggravated assaults increased from 0.64% in 2010 to 0.89% in 2022, indicating that this crime category has become a more prominent issue for the city relative to the state.
There appears to be a correlation between population density and violent crime rates. As the population density increased from 2,257 per square mile in 2010 to 2,454 per square mile in 2022, there was a corresponding increase in total violent crimes. Additionally, there seems to be a relationship between racial distribution and crime rates. While the white population remained stable at 83% throughout the period, there was a slight increase in the Black population from 7% in 2013 to 8% in 2022, coinciding with some fluctuations in crime rates.
Applying predictive models to forecast violent crime trends for the next five years (up to 2029), we can anticipate a potential stabilization or slight decrease in overall violent crime rates if current trends continue. The number of violent crimes may settle around 80-90 per year, with aggravated assaults likely remaining the most prevalent category.
In summary, Easley has experienced a complex evolution of its violent crime landscape over the past decade. While some categories like rape have shown improvement, others like aggravated assault have become more prominent concerns. The city's growth in population and density appears to have influenced these trends. Moving forward, focused efforts on reducing aggravated assaults and maintaining the positive trends in other categories could significantly improve the overall safety and well-being of Easley's residents.
