Search South Dakota Public Records

How to Look Up Criminal Records in South Dakota

The state maintains a central database that holds all the criminal records for the state, including arrest records going back to 1989. SD is one of the few states that use a unified justice system making it easier for all the files to be kept in one repository. They offer records to the general public as part of the Freedom of Information Act and will supply copies upon request. The background checks are conducted by name, and each record costs a fee of $20.

Victims & Offenders by Gender and Race

What Information Does South Dakota Criminal Records Report Include?

A South Dakota arrest record will provide basic details about the person like name, email, phone, address, gender, race, age, date of birth, fingerprints, height, weight, and other physical descriptors. Other details included will be each arrest including South Dakota mugshots, date of arrest, arresting officer’s name, arresting agency, the location of the arrest, bail or bond posted, pleas, dispositions, jail time and all other details about the charge and conviction. If any vehicles were involved, that will be on there too.

South Dakota Police Reports and Mugshots

Are South Dakota State Police Reports Public Record?

Police reports in South Dakota are considered public records, and they are handled individually by each police department. For example, the Sioux Falls Police Department has a section on their website, and according to the information, they have an extensive police report documentation department with a lot of employees and support staff to help with management, organization, and public requests for copies. Typically, a police report will contain some or all of the following information:

• Name and ages of people involved.
• Date, time, and location of the incident.
• A detailed description of the event.
• What actions police took (if an arrest took place).
• The charges brought against the suspect.
• Any vehicles involved.
• Crime photos, mugshots, and fingerprints.
• Where the suspect was taken (rehab, hospital, or jail).
• Bail or bond amounts.

The South Dakota Office of Accident Records also sells copies of vehicle accident reports for $4 each. There are stipulations and rules you must follow, but you can order online quite easily.

South Dakota Inmate Mugshots

Mugshots first originated in the 1800s after photography was invented. An innovative French policeman named Alphonse Bertillon devised the first mugshots by playing around with lighting, backgrounds, and angles. He decided upon a composite shot with a front-facing image next to a profile shot (side). He made this a standard part of his booking procedure, and later many other countries followed suit. Now all types of law enforcement agencies use mugshots.

South Dakota mugshots are not completely consistent. Most show a gray background, and some suspects hold boards up in front of them with information, and some do not. Many of them are in street clothes, while others wear jail attire. They show up on news outfits like Dakota News Now and others. Public records repositories also may have them online.

South Dakota Arrest Booking Process

People arrested in South Dakota are handcuffed and taken to the local county jail. Each jail operates differently, but the overall booking process will be similar. Some of the events that will take place are:

• You will be searched, and all your personal belongings will be taken, inventoried, and stored for you. You will be required to sign an inventory form confirming that it is correct.
• You will also be photographed and fingerprinted.
• You may also have to provide a DNA sample (cheek swab).
• You are allowed one or more phone calls.
• You will be placed in a holding cell to wait.
• Bail may or may not be set.
• Police may charge you or release you.

The entire booking process may take hours. Inmates who have been booked and are being held for bail or their visit with the judge, may have visitors and use the commissary.

Violent Crime Rates for the last 10 years

The crime rate has increased over the past decade in South Dakota, going from 835 crimes in 2006 to 2,023 by 2% higher than it was back in 2006. The largest percentage of violent crimes falls into the Aggravated Assault category, with Revised Rape being the least popular crime in the state.

Arrest Law

An SD law enforcement officer may arrest someone legally with a warrant. They may also arrest someone without a warrant if the person commits more than a petty offense in his or her presence. If they suspect a felony or Class I misdemeanor has been committed not in their presence, then they can arrest someone on those grounds as well. A police officer from another state can also arrest someone when in fresh pursuit of a suspect.

The Arrest Rate in South Dakota

For 2017, 44,265 arrests were made. Of those, 11.9% (5270) were juveniles. Of the annual total, 6,671 were for DUIs, and 8,224 were for drugs. That is an increase 7.1% for drug arrests.

State Offender and Victim Age Group Statistics

Most of the violent crime offenders in South Dakota were 20-29 and the largest percentage of violent crime victims were 20-29.

Crime Victim Demographics

Residence Home is the place where the majority of crimes in South Dakota were committed, in most of the crime cases the offender was a relationship unknown.

South Dakota Arrest Records by Type of Crime

The popular arrests for 2017 in South Dakota was for All Other Offenses (except traffic) - 16,967, the same popularity of the arrest type was seen in Alabama, Alaska, and Arizona. The least popularity had Murder & Non-negligent Manslaughter arrests - with only 17 crimes a year.