The Biden Administration has new strategies to handle gun violence and increase public safety. And Rapid City is part of an initiative to support community violence intervention.
Steve Allender is the city’s mayor. He’s talking with federal leaders about Rapid City’s tactics to handle crime.
He says the city is participating because of its response to crime and public safety.
“Based on our approach to violent crime and homelessness and community interaction, we’ve been really building up a new way of doing things over the last couple of years. I believe we’ve gotten some recognition.”
The city is beginning to send community liaisons to neighborhood shootings. Allender says they may start using social workers in response teams when police are called to a situation without a specific crime.
Rapid City is one of more than a dozen jurisdictions involved in this collaboration.