Public safety in Myrtle Beach: How does what officials say compare to crime statistics?
City officials say Myrtle Beach is safe. This is after a shooting at Grand Coastal Mall two weeks ago and a report that shootings appear to be up for this year.
“Yes, downtown is safe,” said city spokesperson Mark Kruea by email to The Sun in October. Cpl. Chris Starling echoed this sentiment, saying the mall is safe after the Grand Coastal Mall shooting.
This year, the total number of shootings in Myrtle Beach reached 25 on Nov. 14. There has been several high profile incidents, such as the mall shooting, as well as two shootings earlier this year along Ocean Boulevard, and the arrest of a 20-year-old man for pointing a gun at a family walking on the boardwalk on Nov. 9. There also remains the homicide of a woman near downtown.
In 2022, there were 25 total shootings for the year, and in 2021 there were 38. In 2023, there has been an average of over two shootings a month, meaning it is expected that there will be more shootings this year than last.
Starling did not share exactly how many people have been hurt but said there have been at least 20 victims involved in the shootings this year. Based on reporting by The Sun News, there have been at least three shooting deaths. Victims in this context means anyone impacted by the shooting, including people who had been shot at but not struck and includes police officers.
One high profile shooting on April 15 was not investigated until video of the incident went viral. During that incident it took about a week for the Myrtle Beach Police to release information about the shooting. It took police around two more weeks to charge someone for the crime. The incident, which happened along Ocean Boulevard, involved many witnesses and video.
There was also the homicide of the woman near downtown in October. Police did not release information about her death until the following day and have not put out anything else since mid-October.
Another was when one person was injured in the Coastal Grand Mall shooting on Nov. 10, according to police. Police said multiple people called 911 after they heard shots fired near the movie theater entrance, reporting up to 10 shots fired. No one has been arrested, although police said they have a suspect.
Increase in shootings, decrease in violent crime
Overall, violent crime has been dropping in Myrtle Beach since it hit a recent high in 2016, according to FBI data. Compared to 2016, there’s been a nearly 30% drop in violent crimes.
In a questionnaire sent out to city council candidates before the election, several of them mentioned the need for more police officers. As of Oct. 24, the city is down 57 officers of the budgeted 279 The Sun News previously reported.
Starling talked about some ways the city has been trying to improve public safety. For example, the department has added more cameras in the city and employees to their Real-Time Crime Unit. This allows people to watch and find crime easier.
Police are also working with the Myrtle Beach School cluster to implement acoustic threat detection systems. These work by detecting abnormal sounds and vibrations, such as the ones given off by firearms, and can pinpoint exactly where a firearm went off.
“We fully understand that a shooting incident not only affects those involved but also the community members where the incident happened,” Starling said by email. “The members of the Myrtle Beach Police Department want our community to feel safe where they live, vacation, and work. We will continue to work to solve these crimes and hold those individuals involved accountable for their actions.”
This story was originally published November 27, 2023 at 9:24 AM.
