FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, April 9, 2021
PIERRE, S.D. – The Office of the Attorney General today released the Crime in South Dakota 2020 report. This report is compiled annually by the Attorney General’s Criminal Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) and is the most accurate and comprehensive compilation of criminal statistics in the state as it reflects the actual arrest and reporting information by South Dakota law enforcement. Criminal statistics are an indispensable asset to aid in identifying trends in criminal activity which, in turn, assists in crime prevention and enforcement efforts across South Dakota.
The report reflects the work of law enforcement professionals around the state and assists in final determinations regarding the allocation of personnel as well as information and technology resources.
South Dakota law enforcement agencies reported a total of 47,859 arrests involving 72,782 offenses in 2020. More serious offenses accounted for a total of 18,634 arrests and include the following: murder (1st and 2nd degree)-23, sex offenses-59, assault-6,006, larceny/theft-1,661, fraud-556, drug/narcotic-8,436, prostitution-4, kidnapping-89, robbery-67, arson-19, burglary-306, motor vehicle theft-367, counterfeiting-113, embezzlement-19, stolen property-227, destruction of property-473, pornography/obscene material-15, and weapon law violations-194. Less serious offenses included the following, DUI-5,099 (5,846 in 2019), liquor law violations-1,520 and disorderly conduct-2,176.
Please note that on page 42, where statistics are listed for Murdered Indigenous People in Indian Country, in accordance with SDCL 23-3-18.1, SAC sent a letter to all Tribal Chairmen and Presidents to collect information on any murdered Indigenous persons within Indian Country. The information presented reflects incidents investigated on Indian Country and reported by the FBI. The information therein is not included in the state totals listed elsewhere.
For comparison purposes please note that some statistics reflect arrest numbers while others identify incident reports.
You can read the full report here.
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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, Tim.Bormann@state.sd.us, (605) 773-3215
