SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Shootings involving Sioux Falls Police Division officers have gotten extra widespread; there have been three within the final month and 6 since final November.

“There’s extra weapons on the market, there’s extra individuals prepared to make use of them, and that’s a societal difficulty that we sort of want to speak about and actually speak to particularly younger individuals and folks inside our neighborhood in regards to the weapons, and it’s a severe difficulty,” division Chief Jon Thum stated on Tuesday.

KELOLAND Information requested the chief to elaborate on these feedback, and he did so on Friday. Thum says Sioux Falls has modified since he began as a patrol officer in 2005.

“Over the previous a number of years, we’ve simply observed the frequency of us coming into contact with firearms has gone up considerably,” Thum stated. “Once I first began as a patrol officer, you’d see them right here or there. Plenty of instances could also be beneath a automobile seat or hid someplace. And now we’re simply seeing increasingly more on their particular person.”

He says town can be getting extra experiences of gunshots, and that’s not all that’s modified.

“Actually a extra confrontational fashion in direction of legislation enforcement that lots of people have, and what you see is simply an alarming development the place individuals, once more, proximity or possession of a weapon, extra willingness to make use of it, getting in battle with legislation enforcement after which deciding that that’s a step that they wish to take,” Thum stated.

As he sees it, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all evaluation or resolution.

Dan Santella: What do you say to somebody who says, ‘I’m involved in regards to the frequency of Sioux Falls Police Division officers drawing and firing their weapons?’

“And once more, I believe you may have a look at every certainly one of these conditions which have taken place, and once more I can possibly get caught within the quantity, however what I actually must do is have a look at every state of affairs,” Thum stated. “And I believe in the event you look in every state of affairs, our officers are responding to actions made by different individuals.”

Whereas there is probably not a easy resolution, one approach to begin is by speaking to children.

“I believe it’s up for younger individuals and for individuals simply to say basically, in the event you’re going to be related to weapons, in the event you see this as one thing that’s an avenue then I’m not going to be concerned in that, proper, and I’m going to possibly name it out as I see it,” Thum stated.

And ensure children perceive the real-life penalties.

“I believe many instances individuals watch films, they usually watch TV, they usually suppose like that is only a informal occasion, proper, when an officer has to discharge their weapon within the line of obligation. It’s not an informal occasion,” Thum stated. “It’s not films, it isn’t TV, like there’s an actual affect, proper. There’s an actual affect and once more, I believe individuals typically lose sight of that.”