The latest South Dakota crime statistics show that the state was a safer place at the end of 2021 than it was a year earlier.

The Office of the Attorney General has released the Crime in South Dakota 2021 report.

The headline of the 207-page report is that overall crime in the Mount Rushmore State was down more than five percent from 2020.

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In 2021, there were 38,160 arrests involving 69,277 offenses in South Dakota. That is a decrease of 5.33 percent from 2020.

The state's biggest drop in crime came in murders. There were 19 homicides in South Dakota in 2021, compared to 35 in 2020. That is a decrease of 45.71 percent.

The state also saw double-digit decreases in five other areas:

  • There were 2,221 burglaries reported in 2021. This is a 21.49% decrease from 2020.
  • Drug offenses in South Dakota were down 14.96 percent in 2021, with 6,731 total arrests.
  • Group 'A´ offenses (murder, rape, assault, burglary, robbery) saw a decrease of 14.45 percent with 46,334 arrests in 2021.
  • Drunk driving arrests were down 12.27 percent, with 5,654 arrests.
  • 448 forcible rapes in South Dakota marked a 10.22 percent decrease.

Crime numbers in South Dakota were up in two areas:

  • There were 22,943 Group 'B´offenses (DUI, disorderly conduct, trespassing, bad check writing), which was an increase of 20.64 percent.
  • Juvenile arrests also saw an uptick in 2021. The 3,828 arrests represented a 3.63 percent increase.

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