You would expect crime rates in big cities to be on the higher side, right? What if I told you the crime rate in Myrtle Beach right here in Myrtle Beach is higher than either New York City or Chicago? You’d be shocked, right? Well, according to data from the FBI, it’s actually true. The crime rate for both violent crime and property crime is higher here in Myrtle Beach than in New York City or Chicago. The FBI uses a scale from 1 (low crime) to 100 (high crime). For violent crime like assault, rape and homicide, New York City scores a 28.2, Chicago scores a 49.9 while Myrtle Beach scores a 76.3. For property crime like theft and vandalism, New York City scores 24.9, Chicago scores 76.3 while Myrtle Beach scores 97.1 – one of the highest scores of any major city in the data set.
Tips to Protect Yourself
Self-defense can be subtle or more overt. Either way, we thought it was a good time to review some basic self-defense tips to help you stay safe.
1. Trust Your Gut – If you get a bad feeling about a person or place, get away as soon as possible.
2. Don’t be an Easy Target – If you have a bad feeling about someone, cross the street or go inside a business. Do whatever you need to protect yourself from a potential attack.
3. Keep a Safe Distance – Try to keep an arm to an arm and a half length between you and a potential threat. That gives you space and valuable seconds to act or react to a potential danger.
4. Set Strong Verbal Boundaries – Speak up for yourself. Don’t let fear freeze you or shut you down. Show a would-be attacker that you are a loud and difficult target.
5. Use the Element of Surprise – If you can’t avoid an incident, use the element of surprise in your favor. Most people shut down when threatened so your attacker will not expect you to fight. Fight!
6. Use Simple Self-Defense Moves – Simple self-defense moves are often the safest and easiest to pull off like the heel palm strike to the face, striking at the eyes, and striking with your knee.
7. Follow Through – The incident isn’t over until the threat is over. Be 100% committed to fighting back and escaping until you are away safely.
8. Invest in Self-Defense Tools – Self-defense tools like pepper spray, striking tools, flashlight tasers and other self-defense tools are legal in South Carolina and can be useful if you are attacked.
The crime rate in Myrtle Beach is shockingly higher than even major cities like New York City and Chicago. Knowing simple ways to avoid an attack or defend yourself during an attack can help keep you safe.
