BROOKINGS — If you’re worried downtown Brookings isn’t safe, let the police chief allay those fears.

“I can say as your chief of police, there’s a reason why I moved here, and that’s because the downtown is safe,” Brookings Police Department Chief Michael Drake told the City Council during a June 25 study session. “I would let my family wander down there at any time of the day or night and not worry about their safety or security.”

Drake, along with Kirsten Gjesdal, executive director of Downtown Brookings, and Samantha Beckman, assistant to City Manager Paul Briseno,  presented their safety findings, roughly a year in the making, to councilors.

Drake said in a typical year in downtown Brookings, there’s spring activity followed by a summer lull and then a slow increase starting in August, with a peak reached around Hobo Day. Then the weather gets colder and, as Drake says, “… everyone then hibernates for four to five months in South Dakota.”

From 2021 through the first half of this year, the BPD’s calls for service in downtown ranged from a low of 436 in 2021 to 542 in 2023, with 450 in 2022. So far this year, it’s at 207. Altogether, the calls average out to around 450 per year, Drake said. He emphasized that contact with the public was not necessarily bad, either.

“One, we re-established foot patrols, you brought in a new police chief that encourages engagement with the community,”he said.

Downtown calls to the BPD account for around 4% of overall call activity, with the BPD dealing with an average of 13,000 calls each year from 2021 through May of this year, Drake said. Specifically, the BPD handled 10,798 calls in 2021, 11,679 calls in 2022 and 15,358 calls last year, with this year, so far, sitting at 6,580.

Mostly minor stuff

The vast majority of 450 average yearly interactions involving the downtown corridor are minor, Drake pointed out.

“Of those 4 percent, those 450 calls, about less than 1 percent is actual calls that I would deem as your police chief as concerning,” he explained. “When I say concerning, it’s maybe a fight, a harassment, a disorderly subject, a patron that doesn’t want to leave, somebody that’s broken something or engaged in some unsavory behavior.”

BPD officers are typically busier in the morning as downtown businesses open. Another busy period begins around 9 p.m. and continues until bar close.

“Again, it’s due to the establishments that are open at this time,” he said. “Again, not always a negative connotation because police officers are down there greeting and meeting people and doing what they’re supposed to be doing either by motorized patrol or foot patrol,” he said.

City comparisons

Brookings compares well to its peers in the Midwest, Drake said

“Our crime rates and stats are much lower. Our personnel is also lower. Our trouble is lower,” Drake said. “We are not seeing nearly as much as what they’re seeing. We’re seeing some litter, debris and some intoxication, but they are seeing much worse: They’re seeing bar fights, they’re seeing a lot of brawls, they’re seeing broken property and damage every night of the week between Thursday, Friday and Saturday.”

He said a variety of things can be done to further alleviate what few problems the city has in its downtown corridor. Police presence and downtown business vigilance can work together to alleviate litter and the like, he said.

“Perception is always reality. We can sit here and tell folks all day long that they’re safe, but if they notice something downtown that’s unsavory to them and they stop bringing their folks down there to participate in shopping, wining, dining or having any kind of enjoyment, then they’ll just stop coming down there.”

Drake said he’s a big fan of the “broken windows theory,” of policing.

“I take it to heart,” Drake said. “It talks all about order maintenance and how this can be applied to Brookings by just fixing broken windows, by concentrating on the small things like litter and trash, and educating folks and keeping some of that mischief at bay,” he said.

Agency’s efforts paying off

Gjesdal said her agency is working on initiatives involving more cameras, improved lighting, coordinated cleanups, sidewalk power washing and the “Walk With Us” workshop.

Downtown Brookings created profiles of different people who visit downtown at night — such as a 19-year-old who was drunk for the first time, a 25-year-old woman returning home from her job and an SDSU parent eating at Cubby’s and then leaving at the end of the night.

Downtown Brookings also wants to engage SDSU students.

“I think this is probably the best way to address some of the issues we might see … in future years, where we’re engaging quite a bit with freshman and sophomore students and getting them downtown to work on projects with our small-business owners and walking around our downtown,” Gjesdal said. 

She said the association worked with more than 180 SDSU students last year, with over 90% of them going downtown and talking to business owners.

“(We’re) really trying to hit it home that it’s everybody’s job to take care of our neighborhood,” Gjesdal said. “Just because you aren’t the person who maybe broke that bottle outside of your business, it’s still your customers’ experience when they see that on the ground, so just go pick it up.”

Councilors

Councilors praised the efforts thus far. 

“I just wanted to first note my appreciation for all of your efforts and I really appreciate how considerate you all have been in addressing public and community safety through efforts like the ‘Walk With Us’ workshop that I was really thankful to be a part of,” Councilor Brianna Doran said. 

“I wanted to thank all of you for the hard work that you put into this and the continued hard work that you will do collaborating to address the issues downtown,” Holly Tilton Byrne said. 

— Contact Mondell Keck at mkeck@brookingsregister.com.