RAPID CITY, S.D. — With students returning to classrooms and the Central States Fair underway, Rapid City police are focusing on school safety, increased patrols and several recent investigations across the city.
Lt. Chris Holbrook of the Rapid City Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division oversees the department’s school resource officer program. Between the Rapid City Police Department and Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, an officer is assigned to every school in the Rapid City Area School District.
Holbrook said school resource officers take on several roles depending on the needs of their schools. “They can be everything from a coach to a counselor to a police officer, or just a trusted adult,” Holbrook said. Some officers coach school sports, while others visit classrooms to teach students about safety.
Officers assigned to schools also work to build relationships with students and staff. Holbrook said becoming approachable is an important part of the job because students need to feel comfortable talking with an officer. Officers generally need at least three years of experience before applying for a school resource officer position and can receive additional training focused specifically on school safety and law enforcement in schools.
As students returned to class, Rapid City police also increased patrols around active school zones. Officers work with school administrators throughout the year and coordinate with schools and the fire department on emergency procedures.
Police are also maintaining an increased presence at the Central States Fair, working with the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office to address safety concerns at and around the fairgrounds. Public Information Officer Brendyn Medina said additional attention has been placed on parking areas after previous incidents occurred outside the main fairgrounds.
New lighting was added to parking areas this year through cooperation with Rapid City Public Works and Black Hills Energy. Medina said the change followed past problems that included assaults and shootings near the fair. “More light usually equals less problems,” Medina said, adding that officers are continuing proactive patrols in the area.
Police are also reminding fairgoers to lock their vehicles and secure firearms. Lt. Kelvin Masur said vehicle burglaries have occurred around the fairgrounds in the past and reminded residents that “a car is not a good gun safe.” Holbrook said firearm thefts from vehicles continue to occur on a frequent basis.
Police also discussed a suspicious object discovered near a garbage can at Cliffside Park. Medina said a Rapid City Parks Department employee noticed the object and contacted police. Officers determined the object appeared improvised and potentially explosive and requested assistance from the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation.
Medina described the object as roughly the size of a water bottle with fireworks or other pyrotechnic materials associated with it. DCI safely recovered the object for off-site disposal, allowing the park to reopen. Medina credited the parks employee for reporting the object rather than attempting to handle it.
The department also provided an update on an investigation into gunshots fired from a vehicle on Atlas Street. Holbrook said investigators have narrowed the case to a suspect and are continuing to collect and analyze evidence. Police identified Rodney Spottedelk as a suspect and are actively searching for him.
Medina said multiple witnesses reported seeing a vehicle travel through a residential parking area while several gunshots were fired from it. He said investigators placed a high priority on the case because of the danger posed by gunfire in a residential area.
Rapid City police are also beginning preparations for several fall events, including the Black Hills Powwow, Indigenous Peoples Day activities, Touch-A-Truck events and Sept. 11 remembrance activities. Masur said the department is beginning to coordinate with tribal law enforcement partners ahead of the Black Hills Powwow in October.
