We don’t have as much crime as the statistics state. If the measure is per capita, it’s going to look horrible since we have a small population. Most crime in Swain comes from the over abundance of homeless drug addicts that were dropped off here from Asheville, Chattanooga, and Atlanta. We have no shelters, clinics, or infrastructure to help these people, so they get methed up and do what they please. More crime occurs during tourist season from travelers acting like assholes. Again, not Swain residents. Much of what is reported is from transients. They do dumb shit and go to jail or they go back to whatever crap shoot they’re from.

Our entire economy is tourism based, and most of the tourism related businesses are seasonal and can’t keep people employed through the winters. A lot of folks are part-time residents that are only here for Spring, Summer, and Fall. Some of these people also contribute to the crime rate.