$518,000 is expected to help aid South Dakota agencies in combatting domestic violence over the next three years.
The grant comes from the federal Office of Violence Against Women, designed to help improve local and statewide criminal justice response to domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
The Minnehaha County State’s Attorney, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, and South Dakota Attorney General’s Office are the three main agencies pushing for the grant. They received preliminary approval for the funds back in October. Minnehaha County State’s Attorney Daniel Haggar said after some adjustments in their application, they expect to be awarded the just over half a million dollars soon.
The funds will allow for the hiring of a Deputy State’s Attorney in Minnehaha County, as well as a part-time Minnehaha County Deputy Sheriff. Those two positions will focus solely on those domestic violence crime, targeting Intimate Partner Violence crimes.
“We will start really targeting those high-risk domestic violence offenses, those intimate partner violence offenses, making sure that we are paying close attention to them,” Haggar said.
Both Haggar and Attorney General Marty Jackley said those repeat offenders in particular will be a big part of their efforts in limiting domestic violence cases.
“We know over time with recidivism, those are the cases that escalate unfortunately and can result in more serious crimes, and we can get ahead of this,” Jackley said.
“Looking at those repeat offenders, making sure that they’re held accountable. Making sure that we’re protecting those victims from that repeat offense. It’s a big problem,” Haggar said.
Part of the funds will also be going to South Dakota Voices for Peace to assist in addressing racial equity in the overall response to domestic violence crimes. In an email to Dakota News Now, South Dakota Voices for Peace CEO Taneeza Islam said the organization is looking forward to partnering with community outreach, and helping victims of domestic violence.
Haggar said other groups will be partnering as well with their community response, and those will be important for following up with victims in a regional team. He said just as important as it is to crack down on offenders, those victims will need support from a variety of sources.
“They’ll be able to talk with the community partners, make sure that the policies that we have in place are best serving those victims. If there’s communication that needs to happen, it’s going to go through them. They’re going to know every day when they come in to work what they’re working on,” Haggar said.
“It’s bringing together victim services, [South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault] and [South Dakota Voices for Peace]. It brings together the law enforcement aspect on the investigations. The Director of DCI Dan Satterlee is here, [Minnehaha County] Sheriff Milstead, [Sioux Falls Police] Chief Thum, and it does it through the prosecution,” Jackley said.
Haggar said this funding will also be used to partner with the Pennington County State’s Attorney to create a statewide Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission.
You can read the full article at Dakota News Now.