“You can’t attract better investment by blaming the people already risking everything to stay. You attract it by protecting them.”
— A.L. Childers
In the aftermath of the recent Ocean Boulevard shooting, Myrtle Beach has once again found itself in the national spotlight. As community outrage grew, Mayor Brenda Bethune and Police Chief Amy Prock addressed the media in an effort to calm concerns. But instead of focusing on solutions that address public safety, the mayor chose to cast blame in the wrong direction—at small business owners and low-cost motels.
During her statement, Mayor Bethune concluded:
“So until we realize that people need to reinvest and invest in the right types of businesses in Myrtle Beach, we are not going to change the clientele.”
Let that sink in.
In one breath, the mayor essentially suggested that businesses themselves are to blame for the type of people visiting Myrtle Beach—as if a souvenir shop or a budget motel is responsible for shootings, theft, or gang presence. This thought process is not only flawed—it’s dangerously backwards.
🛑 Let’s Be Real: This Is a Policing Problem, Not a T-shirt Problem
Who’s going to reinvest in a neighborhood where there’s no guarantee of safety? Where public protection is so thin that even high-traffic tourist zones feel like no-go areas after dark?
Who’s going to pour their life savings into a business downtown only to “lose their ass” (as many business owners say) to theft, vandalism, violence, and street gangs that roam freely—while the police force is down more than 50 officers? (MyrtleBeachOnline)
The logic of “cleaner businesses will fix the clientele” is like saying fresh paint fixes a sinking ship.
📊 The Numbers Don’t Lie
- Myrtle Beach ranks among the top 10 most dangerous cities in America, with a violent crime rate of 68.9 per 1,000 residents—more than four times the national average
(NeighborhoodScout)
- In 2023, over 17.6 million tourists visited the Grand Strand, generating $12.5 billion in economic impact
(Tourism Works for the Grand Strand)
- Yet, tourists are increasingly choosing safer alternatives like Surfside Beach and North Myrtle Beach. Why? Because those communities invest in visible policing, clean streets, and safe infrastructure, not just media messaging.
💡 What Myrtle Beach Needs to Actually Do
If city leaders want to actually shift the type of clientele Myrtle Beach attracts, here’s what should happen first:
✅ 1. Rebuild the Police Force
Start by closing the gap in law enforcement staffing. Offer incentives, better pay, and benefits to attract qualified officers.
✅ 2. Clean Up Public Spaces, Not Businesses
Install better lighting, security cameras, and emergency call stations on Ocean Boulevard and surrounding areas. Make it known that law enforcement is present and active.
✅ 3. Community Partnership Programs
Support mentorship, job training, and safe youth programs that give at-risk teens an alternative to gang life—because real change starts before a crime happens.
✅ 4. Protect the Businesses Already There
Give grants or tax incentives to business owners investing in underdeveloped or high-risk areas. Reward those who stay when it would be easier to leave.
✅ 5. Stop Scapegoating and Start Supporting
Leadership should treat business owners as partners—not problems. These entrepreneurs are the economic lifeblood of downtown Myrtle Beach, not the cause of its wounds.
🔁 Flip the Narrative
Blaming business owners for attracting the “wrong people” is like blaming a storm on an umbrella. It’s not only wrong—it’s demoralizing to those who are already fighting to stay afloat.
You can’t attract better investment by blaming the people already risking everything to stay. You attract it by protecting them.
📌 Support local. Speak up. Demand more from leadership. Myrtle Beach can’t thrive if its backbone—its residents and business owners—keep getting blamed for the very problems they’re begging the city to fix.
📍Myrtle Beach has a crime problem. Not a souvenir shop problem.
After the Ocean Boulevard shooting, city leaders blamed low-cost motels and small businesses for attracting “the wrong people.” But here’s the truth:
🔹 Myrtle Beach has one of the highest violent crime rates in the country—68.9 per 1,000 residents
🔹 The police force is short over 50 officers
🔹 Tourists are choosing safer areas like North Myrtle & Surfside
🔹 Business owners are losing everything—while getting blamed for staying
Instead of scapegoating the people risking everything to rebuild, why not protect them?
You don’t change the clientele by blaming your own community.
You change it by investing in safety, structure, and support.
🗣 Let’s demand better. It’s time to stop pointing fingers and start protecting Myrtle Beach.
A.L. Childers
Published Author, Advocate, and Your Partner in Thyroid Health
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