When she's not talking tough about meth, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem touts South Dakota's pastoral low-crime paradise. Sadly, the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports paint a much different picture.
In KDLT's Young Farmers Voice Their Concerns About an Uncertain Future, Brandon Green reports that Noem said:
Governor Noem wanted to use the panel as a call to action for young farmers to continue the strong farming culture in South Dakota.
“Our rural way of life is special. It leads to better support, more success, and obviously less crime and struggle; we see that in South Dakota. But it can also be an example to be people of what priorities are,” said Noem.
While we're not sure what the struggle means to Noem, in January 2018, Todd Epp of Big Country 92.5 reported in FBI releases mixed bag of South Dakota crime statistics:
The FBI has released some interesting crime statistics about South Dakota for 2016.
According to the Uniform Crime Reports, the State of South Dakota reported 418.4 violent crimes and 1,980.6 property crimes per 100,000 people in 2016.
South Dakota’s violent crime rate is 13.0 percent higher than the national median, and the property crime rate is 23.3 percent lower.
How other regional states fared:
- Iowa--290.6 violent crimes/100,000 and 2,086 property crimes/100,000.
- Minnesota--242.6 violent crimes/100,000 and 2,133.3 property crimes/100,000.
- North Dakota--251.1 violent crimes/100,000 and 2,295.9 property crimes/100,000.
- Nebraska--291 violent crimes/100,000 and 2,263.3 property crimes/100,000.
- Wyoming--244.2 violent crimes/100,000 and 1,957.3 property crimes/100,000.
- Montana--368.3 violent crimes/100,000 and 2,683.5 property crimes/100,000.
The national medians were 370.3 violent crimes/100,000 population and 2,582.1 property crimes. . . .
More recently, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader's Katie Nelson considered a different data set in 5 things we learned from 2018's South Dakota crime report:
In 2018, South Dakota crime generally followed patterns set by previous years, according to new data released by the South Dakota Attorney General's Office. Murder numbers are down, but rape, kidnapping and other violent crimes are on the rise. Others, like drug arrests, have remained steady.
Well then.
We might not be locking up the house when we head off to weed or feed the hens on the next block over in the mean unpaved streets of Summit, but perhaps we'll be packing more than a hand trowel. The pocket gophers stealing Mike's kohlrabis better watch it.
For a serious look at crime in the state, check out the South Dakota ACLU's consideration, Crime in South Dakota report highlights need for smart justice approach to drug-related offenses.
Photo: Generic crime image.
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