Meade County to increase law enforcement budget in 2021

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - With communities across the country pushing to defund the police, Meade County is adopting a budget that will increase law enforcement funding next year.

With more than $316,000 allocated for the Sheriff’s Department, Meade County adopted its 2021 budget this week.

“Budgets go up and down depending on need, and this year it looks like the sheriff has made a good request for items that were important to perform his duties and will definitely benefit the community,” said Kevin Forrester, facilities director for Meade County.

This is an increase from last year with funding going toward body armor, new patrol vehicles, radios and vehicle cameras.

“It will continue to streamline the operations. It is a cause and effect technology is. It makes the deputies in the field jobs easier. It makes the administrators and the offices' job easier. It makes the prosecutors' job easier to better share information,” Forrester said.

South Dakota is upgrading its radio system, and these new radios are compliant with the state’s P25 system.

“The ratio communication system is super important to keep our officers, our deputies, connected with dispatch,” Forrester said.

Forrester said technology changes quickly, and we have to keep up with it for efficiency and better operations.

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