SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) -- The overall crime rate in Sioux Falls ticked down slightly in 2017, but drugs continued to be a major problem.
"Our investigations into narcotics cases increased again. That was another record. Our meth arrests increased and that was another record." Police Chief Matt Burns tells Kelo.com News.
Burns says there must be an all-hands-on-deck approach to fighting the drug epidemic.
"You just simply can't fight this with law enforcement resources. You just can't arrest your way out of an addiction problem." Burns says the entire community must be involved, including families.
Despite the drug stain and an increase in murders in 2017, Chief Burns says most violent and property crimes actually went down slightly last year. Burns says Sioux Falls still remains a very safe place.
The crime rate over a five-year period remained flat, even with an increase in population.
Not surprisingly for a growing city, police calls hit a new record in 2017. There were 105,865 calls for service. This is a 2.9 percent increase from 2016.
A copy of the 2017 Crime Report is attached at the top of this story.