STURGIS, S.D. (KELO) — The majority of arrests at last year’s Sturgis Motorcycle Rally centered around drugs and alcohol: 66 DUIs, 36 felony drug charges, and hundreds of other citations and arrests.
The Sturgis Rally is the busiest time of year for South Dakota law enforcement. The state’s top law enforcement officer, Attorney General Marty Jackley, is no stranger to the rally. He grew up there, and his dad was the Meade County State’s Attorney for 12 years.
“I feel like with many events, if there is a law enforcement presence, it just gives people the feeling that they are going to be safe,” said Jackley. “And it sometimes deters some of the bad guys, or somebody that’s is maybe on the fence of doing something they know they shouldn’t do, from doing it.”
The Sturgis chief of police agrees, ensuring the dozens of officers he recruits from around the country are highly visible for the ten days of the rally.
“There’s less officers than most people think, but when you put them in our gray uniforms, and you strategically place them around town, it looks like there are hundreds of them when, in reality, there is not that many,” said Chief Geody VanDewater.
Specialized law enforcement units called task forces will be in the Black Hills. They often comprise of federal, state, and local law enforcement officers working together. The internet crimes against children task force will have a stepped up presence. We caught up with them last year as they set up operations.
About a dozen agents will be working on computers, going on social media and dating websites. They create fake profiles to entice child predators coming to Sturgis. A Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team will try to mitigate the influx of fentanyl and meth that come with the rally.
That team even includes members of the South Dakota National Guard.
“We typically have a proactive approach on many of the task forces that we do, but the reality is that with the influx of that many people, sometimes it is reactive law enforcement,” said Jackley.
Last year, the Department of Transportation put the rally attendance at 485,000.
“This should be a good, safe rally, and we are hoping people just come out and enjoy the beautiful Black Hills and spend money as tourists,” said Jackley.
The rally begins August 2nd and runs for ten days.
