Violent Death Reporting System

National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS)

NVDRS is the only state-based anonymous surveillance system that covers all types of violent deaths. NVDRS collects information about the who, what, where, and how of violent deaths and provides insight into why they occurred. No personally identifiable information is collected in NVDRS web-based system. NVDRS started in 2002 and went nationwide in 2018.

South Dakota Violent Death Reporting System (SD-VDRS)

The South Dakota Department of Health (DOH) received funding from CDC in 2018 to implement SD-VDRS. The first year of data collection started on January 1, 2019, which was a pilot year and focused on Minnehaha and Pennington counties. Statewide data collection started on January 1, 2020. The DOH continues to work with coroners and law enforcement agencies across the state to collect data and reduce the number of violent deaths in South Dakota.

SD-VDRS Data Sources:

  • Death Certificates
  • Coroner Reports
  • Law Enforcement Reports

Violent Deaths Include:

  • Suicides
  • Homicides
  • Undetermined Intent
  • Unintentional Firearm
  • Legal Intervention & Terrorism

 

Data Collected:

  • Victim Demographics
  • Injury and Death Information
  • Circumstances (mental health, substance abuse, life stressors, etc.)
  • Weapon and Suspect Information
  • Toxicology Findings

What SD-VDRS Can Do:

  • Guide state and local prevention efforts
  • Identify emerging issues
  • Educate our state and communities