Sioux Falls reports drop in violent crime, record drug seizures in 2021

Sioux Falls is countering a national trend in violent crime, the mayor and police chief reported today.

After the city saw a record 13 homicides in 2020, the number of cases dropped to five in 2021.

“Violent crime is rising in almost every community in this country,” Mayor Paul TenHaken said. “When we talk about the effects of the pandemic, a lot of times we think of the physical ramifications and the physical health. … There is a lot of mental health and crime ramifications that have come out of the pandemic as well.”

Overall, violent crimes and property crimes held relatively steady on a per capita basis.

“If there’s a theme today, Sioux Falls continues to be a safe community,” TenHaken said. “We have maintained a low and what I’ll call a manageable crime rate, especially when we compared it to some of our peer cities.”

In 2021, the city reported:

• 119 rapes, compared with 116 in 2020.
• 517 aggravated assaults, compared with 557 in 2020.
• 444 domestic aggravated assaults, compared with 460 in 2020.

“If you’re in a relationship or a situation where you need help, there’s people lined up to help you,” Police Chief Jon Thum said.

The city also reported:

• 113 robberies in 2021, compared with 136 in 2020.
• 819 burglaries, compared with 775 in 2020.

“We don’t see a lot of occupied-house burglaries,” Thum said. “There are a lot of unoccupied where people are scouting out where people are out of town or unsecured garages.”

In reporting the city’s crime data for 2021, the mayor and police chief also called on the community to step up in some areas, including helping combat a sharp increase in drug seizures.

The amount of cocaine seized in Sioux Falls shattered the old mark. In 2021, more than 157 pounds of the drug were seized. The previous record was about 4 pounds in 2019.

The amount of fentanyl seized last year – 4 pounds, which is more than 2,000 grams – was another record.

Thum called that “something that should alarm the entire community.”

“We see young people in particular being attracted to this drug,” he said. “Family, parents, you need to know about this.”

The primary culprit is a tiny pill that looks like this and is laced with fentanyl, he said.

“It’s a different kind of high,” Thum said. “It’s a scary drug. Consequences are high.”

The city is seeing that in overdoses and deaths.

“The reality is that you don’t get to learn from this mistake if you make it,” Thum said. “It costs you your life.”

The other crime trend is one the city easily can help reverse, he said.

Take a look at all the vehicles stolen in the past year — largely because they were left with keys inside and unattended.

“They’ve been up dramatically for years,” Thum said.

“You’ll hear us talk about it again and again. This is a number we as a community can directly impact.”

The city also plans a promotional campaign reminding residents to do three things by 9 p.m. every day:

Firearms left in vehicles and stolen can be used to commit additional crimes, Thum said.

More officers

TenHaken and Thum also praised hiring within the Sioux Falls Police Department, which is approaching its authorized staffing level of 284 officers.

“We’re hired a lot of people over the past several years because we’re really pushing to get up to full staffing,” Thum said.

That includes a number of officers from communities outside of South Dakota where they haven’t felt as supported, TenHaken said.

“We’ve stayed really strong in Sioux Falls, empowering and equipping and letting our law enforcement officials do their job in the best way possible,” he said.

Officers also have been attracted by four-day workweeks, which allow more time to decompress, and a hiring bonus ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.