SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — The violent crime rate remains steady in Sioux Falls.
That’s according to 2019 crime statistics released today.
However, drugs remain a concern.
“No, we’re not trying to sweep it under the rug,” Mayor Paul TenHaken said at a news conference revealing the findings this morning. “It’s when those drug numbers start to have an impact on the violent crime rate that we start to really have issues that we need to address even more aggressively than we are now.”
Police Chief Matt Burns said over 133 pounds of methamphetamine was seized last year in 2019 which set a new record.
The report says the amount seized last year more than doubled the previous record set in 2018.
2019 was also the first year where methamphetamine seizure surpassed marijuana seizures.
Despite population growth in the city, TenHaken says Sioux Falls remains safe.
“People often do ask me, is Paul, is Sioux falls still safe? We don’t feel safe, or we do feel safe, or we think it’s still safe. We don’t think it’s safe,” TenHaken said. “This community is incredibly safe.”
Click above to listen to the news conference on the release of statistics.
Below is the news release from the Sioux Falls Police Department.
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Sioux Falls, South Dakota: In 2019, the overall crime rate in Sioux Falls remained steady. The number of property crimes reported have fluctuated somewhat over the last five years while violent crimes reported have remained constant. The reported crime remains steady, even with a 2.2 percent increase in population.
“Sioux Falls remains an incredibly safe place to live and raise a family,” said Mayor Paul TenHaken. “The flat growth in the number of violent crimes per capita reinforces the great work that Chief Burns and our men and women in uniform are doing on a daily basis. Moving into 2020, our narcotics crackdown efforts won’t let up as we continue to focus on ensuring we remain a safe and welcoming city.”
“Crime in Sioux Falls is remarkably consistent over the last several years. There are fluctuations year to year, but when comparing violent crime and property crime the overall trend shows both types of crimes remain steady,” said Police Chief Matt Burns. “We know there is a direct correlation between drugs and crime. Those suffering from addiction often commit crimes to buy drugs and continue the addiction cycle. The impact of drugs and crime has a dramatic impact on the community and affects many people, both directly and indirectly.”
Over 133 pounds of methamphetamine was seized last year in 2019 which set a new record. The amount seized last year more than doubled the previous record set in 2018. 2019 was also the first year where methamphetamine seizure surpassed marijuana seizures.
The following amounts of drugs were seized by the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force:
2017
2018
2019
Marijuana
284.88 pounds
91.42 pounds
114.26 pounds
Methamphetamine
11.16 pounds
56.32 pounds
133.35 pounds
Cocaine
1.02 pounds
1.14 pounds
4.45 pounds
Heroin
0.3 pounds
8.44 pounds
0.08 pounds
The Sioux Falls Police Department and Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force work to find those supplying and dealing drugs to help keep our community a safe place.
(Mark Russo, KELO.com News, contributed to this report.)
