Murders, Rapes Increase 100% in Dorchester County

A community meeting in Summerville Thursday night put the spotlight on an increase of violent crime in town and the county, which, according to crime data, has increased significantly. 

"My feeling is we're about to lose this town to crime," Town Councilman Aaron Brown said. "If crime escalates, as it's doing, we could lose everything people find attractive about this town."

The Federal Bureau of Investigations Uniform Crime Statistics reported a 100 percent increase was reported in murders, from one in 2010 to two in 2011, and a 100 percent increase was reported in rapes, from nine in 2010 to 18 in 2011. But while those have increased, a slight decrease in robberies (14.8 percent) and burglaries (7.4 percent) were also reported from those years. 

At least four homicide investigations have taken place in the county in 2012, according to Patch reporting. Patch has not reported rape incidents.

• Parents charged with homicide by neglect
• Man died of three gunshot wounds
• Father charged with homicide
• Man shot about a dozen times outside his home

An attempted murder-suicide was also reported in the county.

Other Summerville homicides have been reported in neighboring Berkeley County, where part of the town resides. One of the more prominent in the news was the alleged murder of Jasmine Marrone.

In the last week, at least six shootings have been reported in the town of Summerville, according to Brown, who held a violent crime forum Thursday night. Most recently was four alleged shooters in a neighborhood off of Bacons Bridge Thursday morning.

"That's a lot of bullets flying around," Brown said. Brown attended a candlelight vigil for a shooting victim a few weeks ago. Just hours after the vigil was over, bullets were shot nearby.

Click here to read about Summerville shootings.

During Thursday's violent crime forum, about 60 people attended to discuss curbing crime in Summerville. Ideas floated have included community policing, where the same police officers patrol a community and become part of the community, Brown said.

The town has already agreed to replace and brighten lights in the Robynwyn community, which has been home to many of the shootings in town. Brown said they will look to other communities to determine other steps that they can take to curb violence. 

Here is crime by the numbers: