public safety
Report: State court system fields fewer criminal cases
The number of criminal case filings dropped in South Dakota in fiscal year 2023, continuing a five-year slide in criminal caseloads. The drop in caseloads appears in the state Unified Judicial System’s annual report, released this week. The drop is a contrast from the arrest figures in the state Division of Criminal Investigation’s annual “Crime […]
Sioux Falls aims to boost efficiency at state’s busiest regional 911 call center
For more than a fifth of South Dakota’s population, a call to 911 puts them in touch with someone from Metro Communications in downtown Sioux Falls. Despite its size and its role in public safety, Metro Communications doesn’t have its own legal team or human resources staff. That’s led to a host of headaches for […]
Noem appoints former FBI agent to replace retiring public safety secretary
South Dakota Public Safety Secretary Craig Price is retiring this month after almost five years on the job and 26 years in law enforcement. The Department of Public Safety is responsible for the Highway Patrol and assisting with emergency management for natural disasters across the state, among other duties. Price’s tenure as secretary included the […]
House backs ‘truth in sentencing’
PIERRE — A bill to upend the state’s parole system for violent offenders is one step from the governor’s desk. A majority of the House of Representatives went against the pleas of a former Department of Corrections secretary and the House Majority leader on Tuesday and passed Senate Bill 146, dubbed a “truth in sentencing” […]
Street teams, ‘housing first’ among recommendations from Sioux Falls homeless task force
Street teams of social workers and volunteers would be the first to respond to panhandling and loitering if the Sioux Falls City Council heeds the advice of its homeless task force. The task force met Monday for one of its final meetings before pitching its suggestions to the council. The group emerged earlier this year […]