The city of Charleston saw an overall drop in crime in 2023, including a more than 50% drop in murders. There were five murders in Charleston in 2023, a sharp decrease from the 11 reported in 2022, according to statistics provided by the Charleston Police Department. That total is the lowest since at least 2017. Other crimes such as rape, robberies, burglaries, larceny and motor vehicle thefts were also down from 2022. Seat belt citations rose sharply from the year before.