The 2022 South Dakota Crime Report shows drug-related offences dropped about 8%. Over the past five years, drug crimes have been almost cut in half.
Marty Jackley, the South Dakota Attorney General, said the crime report speaks positively about South Dakota communities.
“I think that overall, it shows that South Dakota is a safe place to live,” Jackley said. “Law enforcement has done a strong job with efforts focused oftentimes on substance abuse, methamphetamine, we do have some increased numbers when it comes to fentanyl, so it’s a mixed bag but overall, I would suggest that South Dakota is and remains a safe place to raise a family.”
Some substances are not included in the report. Jackley said that xylazine use in South Dakota has gone up, but those statistics didn’t contribute to the total drug offense numbers. Despite this, drug offenses have either remained steady or decreased, and Jackley said officials continue to work on initiatives to keep drug crimes dwindling.
There are multiple strategies for reducing drug use in the state. Jackley mentioned the campaign “No. Meth. Ever.” as an example of a drug prevention tactic. He also pointed to alternative solutions such as treatment.
“I’ve always been a strong voice on the treatment side,” he said. ”Law enforcement can work on the treatment side when it comes to those individuals that maybe are low-level users or have cooperated. And then of course there are the taskforces that we have statewide."
These drug task forces are a combination of federal, state, and local officials working together on projects such as controlled buys. “We work together in key areas to do controlled buys and other operations to get the drugs off our streets” Jackley said.
Overall, Jackley said the 2022 crime report statistics are encouraging, and law enforcement will continue working to keep South Dakota safe.
More information about crime in South Dakota can be found at https://sdcrime.nibrs.com.