As we know the police department has been shafted on the past two union negotiations. Also take into account they have an enormous lack of leadership and the rising drug problem in Sioux Falls and you are setting the department up for a perfect storm of low morale.
It’s difficult to blame it entirely on Chief Burns or the mayor, they are just continuing the trend. Disrespect for the SFPD goes back decades and mostly because of the city administrator.
Mayor Bowlcut & Bucktooth & Chief Barthel totally ignored our rising drug crime problem blaming it on ‘population growth’. While population growth does contribute, why is the crime rate rising faster then the population?
I believe a new concentration on public safety needs to be a high priority for the TenHaken administration (he is ultimately responsible for managing the department, not the city council, they only authorize funding).
The first thing that needs to happen is getting rid of some of the top officials that keep doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
Secondly, extensive training in civil rights, diversity, sensitivity and criminal justice needs to occur with the officers, and like the SFFD they need to get on a fitness program.
Look at any successful police department around the world, and you will see the same thing, competent leadership. It’s time our SFPD is compensated fairly for their work and have new leadership.