FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, May 29, 2020

PIERRE, S.D. – Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg is pleased to announce a new partnership between his office, the Division of Criminal Investigation and the City of Sioux Falls Police Department to expand the training capacity of the South Dakota Law Enforcement Training academy.

Starting in the fall of 2020 a remote training program will begin in Sioux Falls for new recruits of the Sioux Falls Police Department. The initial class will embark in this new program pending approval from the South Dakota Law Enforcement Standards & Training Commission.

“The ability to train and build the foundation of professional, community-minded law enforcement officers is a mainstay of our state’s law enforcement ideology,” said Ravnsborg.  “I am confident this partnership will assist the City of Sioux Falls in filling their law enforcement needs while still delivering the singular academy philosophy that has been a cornerstone for our state’s law enforcement professionals.”

“Thank you to the Attorney General for his investment in public safety for the Sioux Falls area,” said Sioux Falls Police Chief Matt Burns. “The remote training program in Sioux Falls will help us to return our officer staffing to authorized strength levels and best serve and protect the people of our great city.”

“Public safety is essential to preserving our quality of life in Sioux Falls,” said Mayor Paul TenHaken. “Since coming into this office, my commitment to providing our police force the best training and the resources needed to preserve our quality of life in Sioux Falls has never wavered and thanks to this collaboration with the Attorney General we can better meet our recruitment and training needs for our growing city.”

On average the City of Sioux Falls sends 24 police recruits per year to Pierre for their initial training. The new remote training option will allow Sioux Falls to train 45 officers in that time.

The Sioux Falls Police Department is authorized for 274 sworn officers.

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The Office of the Attorney General is the chief legal office for the State of South Dakota and provides legal advice to agencies, boards, and commissions of the State as well as representing the State in state and federal court.  The Office of Attorney General also handles prosecutions, felony criminal appeals, civil matters, consumer protection issues, and issues formal opinions interpreting statutes for agencies of the state.  Visit www.atg.sd.gov to learn more.

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CONTACT:      Tim Bormann, Chief of Staff, (605) 773-3215

                        T.J. Nelson, Sioux Falls Mayor’s Office, (605) 367-8802