RAPID CITY, S.D. – Rapid City Police say charges have been filed against a former police officer.
In a press release, authorities say Matthew R. Hower, 41, is facing charges of aggregated second degree petty theft. The case stems from incidents which occurred while Hower was acting in his capacity as a Rapid City police officer and School Resource Officer for the Rapid City School District from April-May 2022 in Rapid City.
Additionally, the RCPD was made aware on May 13 that money was missing from a petty cash box at Central High School. The RCPD received video surveillance of the alleged theft and believe that Hower is responsible.
“As law enforcement, we must hold ourselves to a high standard, and this includes holding our own accountable for their actions and decisions,” said Chief of Police Don Hedrick. “I hope that by quickly addressing this issue and being open and honest about the situation, our community understands how seriously we are taking this matter.”
The South Dakota Department of Criminal Investigation conducted a criminal investigation and forwarded their results to the Attorney General’s office for prosecution.
The Office of the Attorney General will be handling the prosecution of the case, and any individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
