The Crime in South Dakota report released by Office of Attorney General’s Statistical Analysis Center indicates many categories of violent crime, including murder, kidnapping, and child pornography were down in 2017.
However, the national drug epidemic continues to impact overall crime in South Dakota, with drug offense alone increasing 7.2% in 2017.
South Dakota law enforcement agencies reported a total of 44,265 arrests involving 76,950 offenses in 2017.
The more serious crimes included a total of 20,497 arrests:
Murder (1st and 2nd Degree)-19
Sex offenses-111
Assault-4,830
Larceny/theft-2,445
Fraud-639
Drug/narcotic-8,224
Prostitution-25
Kidnapping-40
Robbery-70
Arson-8
Burglary-393
Motor vehicle theft-274
Counterfeiting-109
Embezzlement-38
Stolen property-180
Destruction of property-610
Pornography/obscene material-15
Solicitation of a minor-49
Weapon law violations-226
Less serious crimes totaled 23,768 arrests, involving the following, but not limited to:
DUI-6,671
Liquor law violations-2,843
Disorderly conduct-2,436.
Both sex offenses and forcible rapes are below the ten-year average.
Statistics for the Huron Police Department show 865 total offenses were reported in 2017, down from 1161 in 2016, and 439 total arrests were made, compared to 593 for ‘16.
Last year, officers investigated 34 aggravated assaults, 102 simple assaults, 73 narcotics violations, 13 motor vehicle thefts, 27 burglary/breaking and entering, 10 rapes, and 113 cases of vandalism or damage/destruction of property in the city of Huron. With the exception of a slight increase in simple assaults (97 in 2016) and rapes (7 in 2016), all of those numbers are down from 2016.
The Beadle County Sheriff’s Office recieved reports of 38 total offenses, up from 36 in 2016, and made 30 arrests, up by nine from ‘16.
In 2017, the department’s stats indicate 2 aggravated assaults, 10 simple assaults, 3 narcotics violations, 4 cases of vandalism or damage/destruction of property, 3 burglary/breaking and entering, and 3 motor vehicle thefts in Beadle County. Aggravated assaults were down from 4 in 2016 and simple assaults were up by 6.
Other numbers in these categories were up slightly or remained the same.
The 2017 Crime in South Dakota Report is available here: http://bit.ly/2IbV1r8