SIOUX FALLS, SD (KELO-AM) South Dakota's two largest cities are joining forces next week to talk about their growing meth drug problem and what to do about it.
Sioux Falls Mayor Mike Huether will be joined through video conference by Rapid City Mayor Steve Allender for a public briefing in Sioux Falls at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, September 27 at the downtown Law Enforcement Center. They'll discuss the meth epidemic's impact on their two cities.
On Wednesday, September 28, same time, same place, some format, Sioux Falls Police Chief Matt Burns and Rapid City Police Chief Karl Jegeris will talk about meth's impact on crime.
In fact, each day next week, there will be a special briefing at the Law Enforcement Center on the drug problem. Mayor Huether kicks things off on Monday with a briefing on why the meth epidemic is such an important topic.
In 2015, South Dakota suffered a 22 percent increase in drug arrests, most of them thanks to meth.
Following soon after the announcement of next week's near-unprecedented activities, The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force announced a big meth bust.
Three suspects were busted on the east side of Sioux Falls for posession of large amounts of methamphetamines and marijuna, and one of the suspects was also arrested for illegal posession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
In custody are Justin Morales, the convicted felon, Chase Guzman, and Daniel Guzman, all from the Kansas City area, They were pulled over after leaving a home near Hayward Elementary School.
Authorities say that using a search warrant, they uncovered two pounds of meth and another two pounds of marijuana.