I have often assumed that it was only a matter of time that people started dying in the parking lot at the Dudley House. Only a few months ago a stabbing occurred across the street and we also found out recently that calls to that intersection (area) make up 20% of ALL police calls in our city.
Now someone has died in their car in the parking lot due to a fire. While there is an ongoing investigation, some of my city hall moles have told me what initially was found. It was likely NOT foul play or an ACCIDENT. There is also a rumor going around that the person was a resident of the facility but was having some conflicts with them.
Like I said, the investigation is ongoing, but the SFFD needs to be upfront and honest with what happened, no matter what it was. You must first face the truth before solving a problem.
As you know, I have been pressuring the Mayor and the City Council to act with a task force that involves the entire neighborhood and other city resources. I have been told over the last couple of days the new Police Chief has been trying to come up with a strategy to fix some of the issues. I remain adamant this is a community issue that must to solved publicly and transparently involving many groups. I would even be willing to serve on the task force since this issue does overflow into my neighborhood almost a mile away.
I honestly believe that the reason no public task force is being put together is because it is 4 months from an election and if certain people in office just ignore the problem or try to quietly solve it on their own it will just go away.
I wish Chief Thum the best of luck, but I think he knows this will take a village to solve not a quiet baton.
It’s Christmas Eve and we drove-by, and some are sleeping outside it in sleeping bags. #NoRoomAtTheInn
Addicts (including alcoholics) are tough people to deal with. They’re like troubled kids masquerading as adults. Our society tends to punish addicts but that has given us the world’s biggest prison system. Treatment and counseling is a better option.
A death here was inevitable. It’s an unhealthy crowd. More people have come for help. It’s from the pandemic and increased drugs availability. Also, some of these people came from other cities who ushered them away. There must be more city police and medical. The line at ‘The Banquet’ is long and a good measure. This is the place for a mayoral candidate to announce. Rather than spend on advertising distribute care packages. Volunteers will show up, help, and vote. There will be media attention that affects the current mayor negatively.
Homelessness is a lack of affordable housing problem.
And Sioux Falls and South Dakota’s homeless problem is likely worse for South Dakota Gov. Noem’s, county and city official’s failure to spend $350 million federal Cares rental/housing assistance.
The 12/3/2021 South Dakota Housing Authority report shows only $23.5 million of $360.0 million federal Cares Housing Assistance funds have been spent.
The unspent funds–$336.5million–may now be forfeited back to the U.S. Treasury.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/south-dakota/articles/2021-07-15/explainer-south-dakota-has-315m-to-aid-struggling-renters
https://www.sdhda.org/images/docu/Social%20Programs/SD-Cares-Public-Update-12-17.pdf
https://www.politico.com/news/2021/12/24/biden-rural-evictions-526089