Crush of complaints forces state to hire extra help for officer misconduct investigations

There are so many complaints about cops now flowing into the Division of Criminal Investigation that the agency has hired a second full-time investigator to handle them.

Former FBI agent Dave Keith was hired to handle allegations of officer misbehavior recently, DCI Director Dan Satterlee said Wednesday during the March meeting of the Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training Commission in Pierre.

The primary investigator of officer misbehavior has been busy dealing with the spike in complaints since 2021, when the DCI streamlined the process and made an online complaint form available. Continue reading Crush of complaints forces state to hire extra help for officer misconduct investigations

Noem slings accusations about tribes while signing education bills

Gov. Kristi Noem leveled accusations against Native American parents and political leaders Wednesday while saying she wants to help Native American students succeed.

She made the comments during a town hall meeting in Mitchell, where she signed two education bills into law, and at a later town hall in Winner.

“We’ve got some tribal leaders that I believe are personally benefitting from the cartels being here, and that’s why they attack me every day,” she said. Continue reading Noem slings accusations about tribes while signing education bills

South Dakota cities cap video lottery as state eyes betting increase

South Dakota keeps adding video lottery machines, with 567 more terminals and over $1.17 billion gambled this year, earning a record-setting $163 million in revenue for the state.

As the games continue their sprawl and the Legislature weighs an increase in betting limits, some South Dakota communities are trying to figure out a middle-of-the-road solution for the future of the 34-year-old games. Continue reading South Dakota cities cap video lottery as state eyes betting increase