Addressing the media on Wednesday Sioux Falls Police Chief Matt Burns and Mayor Paul TenHaken released the numbers related to crime in the city which saw a rise in drug offenses.

In a report from Dakota News Now, drug seizures rose significantly in Sioux Falls in 2019.

Police seized over 133 pounds of methamphetamine in 2019, over twice the 53.3 pounds seized in 2018. Authorities also seized nearly 2.5 pounds of cocaine last year, roughly four times the amount from 2018.

Chief Burns and Mayor TenHaken say targeting drugs, meth, in particular, has been a priority for law enforcement in the city.

When it comes to the violent crime numbers the report states they remained more or less steady. Police handled slightly more assault cases in 2019, while the city saw the same number of homicides as in 2018.

Mayor TenHaken said the violent crime rate rose proportional to population growth, and that the community remains "incredibly safe."

Where is the meth coming from? Chief Burns said nearly all the methamphetamine in the city is produced in Mexico and smuggled into the region illegally, adding the city has seen very few meth lab busts in recent years.

Mayor TenHaken said the city will not skirt around the rise in drug numbers and will address the problem head-on.

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