PENNINGTON COUNTY, SD — Oftentimes we are saturated with reports of violent events around us, contributing to a widespread belief that our homes and cities are inherently dangerous places prone to wanton and random acts of violence. In a proud announcement by the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, they challenge this notion however, as they say that as of the third quarter of this year their statistics show a nearly-universal decrease in crime county-wide, placing special focus on the decrease of violent crime locally, which has seen a decrease by -33%.
The two exceptions to this are in cases of motor vehicle theft and drug overdoses. To the prior, Patrol Captain Kraig Wood says “Motor vehicle thefts ebb and flow and are still a relatively small number in Pennington County,” encouraging all drivers to lock their vehicle doors in order to dissuade would-be carjackers. To the latter, a stipulation shines sun on what seems to be a rainy day; that while overdoses are on a slight increase, *fatal* overdoses are on a noted decline. This, the Office credits to the increased investment into Detoxification services within the county. “Analyzing our admission history, we see benefit in increasing detoxification services and outreach to try to incentivize real change in this population,” says Care Campus Director Tony Verchio.
“We constantly look at crime statistics in Pennington County to ensure we stay focused on the needs of the community,” says Sheriff Brian Mueller. “Our team remains laser focused on reducing violent crime in the area and creative solutions for addressing the issues surrounding drug and alcohol addiction”.
