Officials: Parolees, firearms and drugs driving South Dakota's violent crime trend
Public safety advocates are calling on citizens and public officials to help them get a handle on violent crimes driving news headlines in South Dakota.
And that includes keeping firearms locked up, shooting down a proposal to legalize recreational marijuana and reforming South Dakota’ parole system.
That’s according to Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken and Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead, who last week met with state Corrections Secretary Kellie Wasko and the governor’s office to start conversations about bolstering public safety in both Sioux Falls and Rapid City.
“I have never been more concerned about the safety of our men and women in uniform than I am today,” Milstead said during a Monday morning news conference in which he and the mayor were joined by Sioux Falls Police Chief Jon Thum and Minnehaha County State’s Attorney Daniel Haggar.
NEWS: High-profile violent crime puts spotlight on South Dakota parole
According to an analysis of data by The Dakota Scout reported last week, the number of parolees under state supervision increased 50 percent between 2015 and 2020.
And that trend had continued through 2022. Just last month, 41 percent of the inmates at the Minnehaha County jail were already on probation or parole prior to the arrest that brought them there, Milstead said.
TenHaken said that the man in custody for committing a murder over Labor Day weekend was a parolee who served only a couple of months before being released from prison last year, and then he absconded.
Police have arrested Darrian Lamar Johnson, 38, in the shooting death of Kaisean Marcell Tyler, 26. According to Department of Correction records, Johnson was sentenced to eight years on July 13, 2021 for possession of schedule 1 and schedule 2 controlled substances. Seven years of his sentence were suspended. He was released from prison on Sept. 14, 2021.
Jails and prisons, TenHaken said, are necessary for safe communities.
But beyond parole reforms, more prison space, rehabilitation, housing and employment opportunities for felons and accountability among residents are necessary, the men said.
“Be willing to hold each other accountable,” Haggar said while urging residents to report suspicious activity and to cooperate with law enforcement during criminal investigations.
TenHaken said that while there’s always been criminals in Sioux Falls and South Dakota, today’s criminals have a higher propensity to use firearms than in the past. And that’s fueling high-profile violent crimes.
“The days of fisticuffs have given way to people who use guns,” he said.
Both Milstead and TenHaken volunteered that they are in opposition to Initiated Measure 27, a question on the Nov. 8 ballot that aims to make marijuana use, possession and cultivation legal in South Dakota.
“If we think that legalizing marijuana in the fall is going to lead to a safer community, we have another thing coming,” he said, referencing news articles he’s read that indicate crime has gone up in states where marijuana is legal.
The Yes on 27 Campaign shot back and accused TenHaken and Milstead of pushing antiquated scare tactics.
"It's easy for opponents to cherry pick statistics to fit their preconceived notions regarding cannabis legalization. However, when you actually look at all of the data from the states that have legalized cannabis for adults since 2012, it's clear that violent crime rates in these states have tracked the national average,” Yes on 27 campaign manager Matthew Schweich said, citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a 2018 study a 2018 study that focused on crime rates in Colorado and Washington.