SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — The number of crimes committed overall has not really increased over prior years, but the number of calls to police has, officials said Tuesday in the semi-annual news conference on public safety trends in Sioux Falls.
Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken highlighted that the city’s violent crime rate is similar to 2023 from January through August of this year. The violent crime rate was 5.88 per 1,000 in 2023, down from 6.21 in 2022. The property crime rate increased in 2023 from 38.82 in 2022 to 39.93.
There are about 3,000 more calls for services from January through August this year when compared to the 86,527 in 2023. The calls for service during these months has hovered around 86,000 since 2020.
TenHaken attributed the increase in part to more traffic calls and nuisance calls to police. You can watch the full 43-minute crime news conference in the video attached above.
In an Aug. 8 news conference, TenHaken said the homeless population was generating nuisance-type calls to police.
The increase in calls comes as the police force is still down 18 officers, said Sioux Falls assistant chief Nick Cook. Although officials have reported success with recent recruitment efforts, more officers are needed.
TenHaken said a need for officers now and into the future is one of the things that keeps him up at night.
While homicides have increased to eight already this year, the number of aggravated assaults decreased from January through August. The city had 429 in 2023 and has 377 in the same time frame this year. Still the number of aggravated assaults is more than in 2022, 2021 and 2020.
The number of domestic assaults, “goes up and down…and it’s very concerning when they happen,” Cook said.
Through August, 308 domestic assaults were reported. There were 276 reported in 2023 and 313 reported in 2022.
Robberies hit a five-year high of 115 through August in 2022 and have since dropped during the same time frame. There were 84 reported robberies this year through August.
Two crime categories which have increased are rape and larceny. A total of 4,084 larcenies have been reported through August. There were 3,942 in 2023. Rape reports increased to 56 from 49. But the numbers were much higher in 2020 at 85 and 86 in 2021.
“Robberies have been tracking downward over the last three years,” Cook said. The police have had 84 robbery reports through August. There were 115 in 2022 and 95 in 2023. Through August of 2021, 76 robberies were reported.
Some of those arrested will be placed in the Minnehaha County Jail, which also houses some federal offenders, Lincoln County and inmates from other service areas. As of Sept. 25, the jail had 503 inmates, with 356 of those from Minnehaha County, chief deputy Jeff Gromer said.
