Culling the Oconee and Pickens crime numbers

In 2022, Pickens County saw a violent crime rate low enough to be included among five South Carolina counties that experienced the lowest rates of violent crime.  The other counties that qualify with the lowest rates were Edgefield, McCormick, Dorchester, and Saluda.  Pickens also saw a 20.25% decrease in property crimes.  The crime numbers are calculated by South Carolina “SLED” and made part of the just-released state crime report.  Law enforcement jurisdictions in Oconee County in 2022 made some 3,200 arrests — representing a 17.8% increase from 2021.  Those Oconee numbers are highlighted by a 32.5% increase in arrests for driving under the influence.  There were four Oconee County cases of murder in 2022 and, to date, the report shows a 75% case clearance rate.