South Dakota Crime Rates Drop: Key Findings From 2025 Report

No matter how you look at it, there is plenty of good news in South Dakota's latest annual crime report.

South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has released the Crime in South Dakota 2025 Report, which shows that the overall number of reported criminal offenses statewide in 2025 decreased by 6.03 percent compared to 2024.

Overall, there were 64,261 criminal offenses in the state in 2025 compared to 68,388 in 2024. Drug offenses decreased 6.25 percent in 2025 compared to 2024. There were 6,358 drug offenses in 2025 compared to 6,782 in 2024.

The more serious crimes, known as Group A, which include such offenses as homicides, sex offenses, and aggravated assaults, totaled 43,715 offenses in 2025, compared to 47,403 in 2024, a 7.78 percent decrease. The number of less serious offenses, known as Group B, which include such crimes as DUI and disorderly conduct, totaled 20,546 in 2025, compared to 20,985 in 2024, a 2.09 percent decrease.

OTHER KEY FINDINGS

23 homicides reported in 2025, down from 32 in 2024.
DUI arrests were at 5,356 in 2025, down from 5,548 in 2024.
Total drug offenses decreased to 6,358 compared to 6,782 in 2024.
Burglaries were at 1,412 in 2025, compared to 1,787 in 2024.
Juvenile arrests were at 3,249 compared to 3,787 in 2024.
Drug offenses involving methamphetamine were at 2,672 in 2025, compared to 3,136 in 2024.
Fentanyl offenses are included in the “Other Narcotics” category. There were 230 such other narcotics offenses reported in 2025, compared to 398 in 2024.
429 South Dakota law enforcement officers were assaulted in 2025, compared to 486 assaulted in 2024. No officers were killed in the line of duty in 2025.

The crime report is compiled by the Attorney General’s Criminal Statistical Analysis Center, reflecting the actual arrest and reporting information by South Dakota law enforcement.

These numbers do not include South Dakota Tribes, which report their crime numbers directly to the FBI.

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Source: Crime In South Dakota Decreases As Drug Offenses, Homicides Drop

Filed Under: South Dakota, crime, Law Enforcement

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