Orangeburg County had the highest rate of homicide deaths and the sixth highest rate of suicides among the state's 46 counties in 2003, a preliminary state Department of Health and Environmental Control report reveals.

Those numbers led to the county's top ranking for the rate of violent deaths per county across the state in 2003.

The information came as part of a presentation from Megan Weis of the state DHEC's Division of Injury and Violence Prevention during an Orangeburg County Health Improvement Coalition luncheon Wednesday afternoon at the First Baptist Church Family Life Center.

In September 2002, South Carolina was one of the first six states to be awarded grants through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to begin creating the National Violent Death Reporting System.

Weis said the state's Violent Death Reporting System is about 95 percent complete. Data contained in the report is for 2003 deaths and was collected between July 2003-October 2004.

Death certificates from DHEC Vital Records, coroners' reports and law enforcement reports are among the several sources from which data is collected. Data collection from coroner and law enforcement reports is ongoing; therefore, Weis cautioned, the numbers are subject to change.

What is subject to change is the seriousness with which the state DHEC and other agencies, including the Orangeburg County Health Improvement Coalition and its Turning Point health and wellness initiative, is treating reducing violence and injury in the county.

"The report really helps us in determining the health status of our county. We're really impressed with the information we've gathered over the last year, and we're ready now to start the action plan for this," said Barbara Grice, health education division director at the Orangeburg County Health Department.

With the support of more than 20 partners from the school, business civic and government sectors and a $58,000 Turning Point grant, district officials at the county health department are moving closer to developing a Community Health Improvement Plan.

A community health status assessment, which identifies priority community health and quality of life issues, is one of four assessment areas that have been addressed and completed, Grice said. She said Weis' information coincided with some of the issues and concerns which more than 1,000 citizens which were surveyed identified as being important to them.

Grice said that 23 percent, for example, wanted lower crime rates and safer neighborhoods as part of improved overall health.

The preliminary report indicated that of the state's 331 homicide deaths (rate of 8 deaths per 100,000 people), Orangeburg County had the highest rate of 17.6. The highest homicide deaths (victims) were among young "black and other" males at 68.8 percent. There were 81.3 percent of these homicides involving firearms.

Of the state's 495 suicide deaths (rate of 11.9 deaths per 100,000 people), Orangeburg County county's suicide rate was not as high at 12.1 percent. The highest rate of suicides in the county was among "black and other" males at 45.5 percent. As with homicide deaths, firearms were also the top method used in county suicides at 81.8 percent.

"We're always looking to improve the quality of the data that we have and the efficiency of the way we provide it," Weis said.

Several representatives from the education, faith, medical, law enforcement and civic communities were present at the luncheon and said the data gave them insight into where to implement intervention strategies in the quest for a safer, healthier community.

Orangeburg County Councilman Janie Cooper said the county's children need a safe after-school place where they can be involved in positive recreational activities. She said she and council chairman John Rickenbacker are already eyeing the possibility of creating a sports complex for the greater Orangeburg area.

Sonya Sims of Lake Marion High School in Orangeburg Consolidated School District 3 said the district already has a "New Birth, New Genesis" after-school program designed to engage youth in service learning projects and steer them in a positive direction against violence.

"We have a lot of violence in the (Lake Marion region). We're trying to help our young people," she said.

Brenda Jennings, who works in the marketing department at Orangeburg Medical Rentals, said it would take collaboration among all partners included in the county's health improvement coalition and other agencies to improve the community's safety and health outlook.

"We can't do that individually. Collaborating can make a difference," she said.

Louann Carter, a former district systems developer at the county health department, is now employed at the state office.

She left Orangeburg just as the health coalition was being developed but said she was glad to be back to see the progress that had been made.

"I'm real exciting to be here ... to see how far things have come," she said.

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