SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (MITCHELLNOW) It’s always been difficult to be a police officer. Work hours are around the clock, with shift changes disrupting sleep schedules and family life. Policing is stressful, with officers and their families never really sure if they will be arriving home after work each and every day.
There are laws and procedures to be learned and followed. The consequences for not following those laws and procedures can be severe and, in some cases, deadly. The scrutiny of police is higher now than it has ever been. In a recent interview, now former Mitchell Police Chief Mike Koster said that the average career is policing is just five years due to a combination of factors.
Sioux Falls has recently experienced a deadly hostage situation, a bank robbery, drive by shootings in addition to the run of the mill crimes every city faces as well as an outbreak of hot rod street racing. That’s why the Sioux Falls Police Department is launching a $100,000 advertising campaign to recruit additional officers.
The Sioux Falls Police Department is authorized for 295 officers, it currently has 283. With Sioux Falls growing by 5,000 to 7,000 people a year, the number of police officers will have to grow to keep pace with the increased population and rising crime.