(Editor's note: This is just one part of a series of stories about local candidates in the upcoming June 2 primary, municipal and school board election. Find more coverage here.)
Simplified: This year, Sioux Falls saw a five-year low in violent crime per capita. Meanwhile, the city's public safety budget has increased 75% over the last decade as the city's added about four dozen officers in that same time period. Sioux Falls Simplified chatted with Central District City Council candidates about how they plan to approach funding the city's growing public safety needs.
Here's what we asked:
How would you approach balancing the public safety needs of the community with the budget realities facing the city – e.g. sales tax revenues coming up short?
Here's how candidates answered (in reverse alphabetical order):
Bob Trzynka
Trzynka said public safety is a necessary expense, and that the hope is as the city grows, revenue grows to keep up with supporting police. He noted it's particularly important because if people don't feel safe, they won't move here, visit here, spend money here, etc.
"At the end of the day, we need to find the right balance to ensure that we have full, adequate policing in all of the neighborhoods," Trzynka said. "Not just the wealthiest neighborhoods and not just sort of bombing the poorest neighborhoods – we need to have balanced policing across all neighborhoods."
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Zak Okuwe
Okuwe praised the department and Chief Jon Thum's leadership in pushing for things like mentorship, literacy, community policing and other "preventative measures" that would ideally save the city money in the long-term by reducing crime.
"I'm not for unrestricted money being given to the police department, but I think public safety is just a priority," Okuwe said. "If we want to continue seeing the success that we've seen for the past 15 years, we have to remain a safe community."
Matthew McKinley
McKinley did not respond to multiple calls and emails requesting an interview.
Tommy Kunz
Kunz said he wants to see more community policing to continue to build trust between the police department and the public.
"And then with budget, I think getting rid of needless programs that don't increase public safety, but cost us money – such as the Flock (automated license plate reader) cameras," Kunz said. "They haven't been shown to reduce crime in areas, but we're going through and installing them."
Zach DeBoer
DeBoer said the city is "in good hands" with Thum as police chief, and said when it comes to budgeting, his approach to public safety will be the same as any other city department.
"I think it's just having a good grasp on what our needs truly are and what sort of return on investment we’re seeing in that," DeBoer said. "I won’t claim ot have infinite knowledge of what the police department should be spending or what our budget should be on that – at least not yet ... I think it's just having honest conversations with folks, asking questions, pushing back when needed and for the understanding of those things."
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