PIERRE, S.D. – South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley, Minnehaha County State’s Attorney Daniel Haggar, and Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead have partnered on a federal grant to combat domestic violence.
In October 2023 the State of South Dakota was preliminarily awarded a $518,000 grant from the federal Office of Violence Against Women to help improve local and statewide criminal justice response to domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.
If approved, the funds will be used to fund a Deputy State’s Attorney and a part-time Deputy Sheriff in Minnehaha County dedicated to targeting repeat and high-risk offenders. The funds also will be used to enhance victim services by engaging community partners in a regional team, and, with the help of Pennington County State’s Attorney, establish a statewide Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission to address domestic violence risk and lethality across jurisdictional boundaries. Additional funds will be dedicated to South Dakota Voices for Peace to assist in addressing racial equity in the overall response to domestic violence crimes.
“Law Enforcement and Victims’ Services groups are partnering to strengthen efforts to combat domestic violence,” said Attorney General Jackley.
Minnehaha County will use the funding awarded to investigate Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) crimes, as well as prosecute IPV crimes, specifically domestic and dating violence.
“In the fight against domestic violence it is imperative that high risk offenders are held accountable and survivors are heard,” said State’s Attorney Haggar. “This funding is a welcome path forward for state and local law enforcement to work hand in hand with community partners to accomplish just that.”
Sheriff Milstead said, “Domestic violence does not discriminate and comes at a great cost to our community. We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with law enforcement statewide to combat intimate partner victimization.”