Editor’s notice: This story is a part of a collection of tales main as much as the April 12 election. Observe the “2022 Metropolis Election” tag for extra.
Simplified: Mayoral candidates Paul TenHaken, Taneeza Islam and David Zokaites talk about how they’d method the rise in crime in addition to the rise within the want for dependancy and psychological well being providers.
Sioux Falls Simplified requested all three candidates the identical query in these topic areas. Listed here are their solutions. (Candidates are listed in poll order.)
Let’s speak crime, psychological well being
Query: As town grows, crime is growing. What’s additionally growing is the necessity for psychological well being and dependancy providers. As mayor, what investments do you wish to see town make to make sure public security and public well being?
Paul TenHaken
TenHaken famous the opening of the Hyperlink triage middle downtown as a giant step in addressing these challenges.
“That being mentioned there’s nonetheless some big big gaps – a kind of is psychological well being services each for youth psychological well being in addition to adults,” he mentioned.
That is why town gave cash to assist fund Avera’s growth to its behavioral well being middle, he added. He additionally mentioned town goes to want to cope with the “very hard-to-house” inhabitants of homeless folks with extreme psychological well being wants.
Taneeza Islam
Islam described a latest ride-along with the Sioux Falls Police Division through which the entire calls the officer acquired had been associated to social providers or psychological well being.
She desires to see an interdisciplinary group of public well being staff – together with psychological well being counselors, substance abuse counselors and social staff – who can work alongside cops.
“We want extra funding in long-term psychological well being and dependancy sources,” Islam mentioned. “There are plenty of nice short-term locations just like the Hyperlink, however now we have to get to the following step in what long-term care appears to be like like.”
David Zokaites
Zokaites mentioned the federal government does a horrible job of coping with dependancy by incarcerating folks. He desires to see town legalize marijuana and decriminalize as a lot as it could actually, as a substitute investing in remedy, therapeutic and assist providers.
“Remedy solves dependancy a complete lot higher than incarceration,” he mentioned.
He additionally famous a need to redesign handcuffs and supply police higher coaching so they do not injure folks within the course of of constructing an arrest.
