Mobridge was a frontier settlement of South Dakota that started around 1906. The town began with marshals and constables to enforce the laws while the town was still young, which eventually grew into the police force they know today. Of these first law enforcers was a man by the name of Bert Dekker, who was one of the first known "peace officers" of Mobridge. Dekker worked with a "justice of the peace" name A. E. Flick. (Larsen, 2009)
These to men made Mobridge’s first arrest in 1907 when they caught a cowboy riding his horse into a local bar. In those days the arresting men split the money they received from the fine paid by the accused. The busiest days for law enforcement were usually on paydays, when everyone would gather together at the bars and lounges to drink and gamble in the gambling hall. "That partnership between law and order, typified by the justice and the cop, helped maintain decorum in a community which tended toward disregard for the law." (Larsen, 2009)
In 1907, W. Rowlee served as the first Town Marshal. Jake Bust
followed Rowlee in 1908 as first Chief of Police, when Mobridge officially became a town. The salary for a policeman, as recorded in 1911, was $65 dollars a month. Over the course of 45 years, from 1911 to 1956, the salary gradually raised to $256 a month. "A 1961 community survey reported that the Mobridge Police Department consisted of six full-time police officers. The employees included one chief, one sergeant, four patrolmen and one matron on call. Clean, modern jail facilities were provided with four cells having the capacity of 28 prisoners - 24 men and 4 women." (Larsen, 2009)Mobridge’s rich history provides great insight into the progression of criminal justice and law enforcement over the last century. From the types of crimes to the growth and expansion of police and jurisdiction, it is easy to see how new crimes and criminals create a demand for new policing techniques and resources. As that demand is supplied, another generation criminal justice emerges. (Larsen, 2009)
Works Cited
Larsen, Tony M., & Mobridge Police Department (2009). Mobridge Police Department - MPD history Retrieved from http://www.mobridgepolice.org/history.htm
Police Officer Issues
Some types of criminal activities officers of the Mobridge Police Department would have dealt with in the early twentieth century include: cattle rustling (as well as other animals such as horses), the manufacture, sale and distribution of illegal liquor, illegal bar and lounge operations, illegal gambling operations, public drunkenness, and the occasional burglary (Larsen, 2009). Today the Mobridge Police Department deals with a host of different crimes; these include: DUI, aggressive driving, seat belt violations (Larsen, 2009).
These crimes differ significantly from the early twentieth century ones, largely because of the widespread ownership of the automobile (ownership of which was largely relegated to the rich previously). Some crimes such cattle rustling likely still occur (especially in rural areas like Mobridge, South Dakota); burglary is also a crime this police department will have to deal with on occasion. Other crimes of the early twentieth century are no longer illegal (such as the manufacture sale distribution and consumption of Liquor, provided one is above the age of 21 and that one paid the respective tax on the beverage). Overall, it’s clear the crimes that the Mobridge South Dakota Police Department deals with today have evolved largely due to technological innovation. Nonetheless, some crimes (like burglary) the police must still contend with even into twenty-first century in much the same way their forbearers did in the twentieth.
Works Cited
Larsen, Tony M., & Mobridge Police Department (2009). Mobridge Police Department - MPD history Retrieved from http://www.mobridgepolice.org/history.htm
Larsen, Tony M., & Mobridge Police Department (2009). Mobridge Police – MPD Enforcement Programs. Retrieved from http://www.mobridgepolice.org/programs/index.htm
Police Issues Now
In South Dakota, the South Dakota State University Police Department is a full service police department that uses community policing. They provide police and emergency services which include but are not limited to traffic accident investigations, criminal investigations, motorist’s assistance, personal safety escorts and are the first responders for medical assistance. The department employs a Police Chief, Lieutenant, Sergeant, Police Officers, student patrol officers and various support staff, such as dispatchers. The department utilizes foot patrols, bicycles, and police cars to access the community. The services are provided 24 hours a day.
The South Dakota State University Police Department’s mission statement is "Members of the department are truly dedicated to the concept of providing both a timely and effective service to the university community and its visitors. The #1 priority of the SDSU Police Department is Crime Prevention and the safety of students, staff and visitors." (http://www3.sdstate.edu)
The SDSU Police Department has adequately addressed the challenge of defining their community. The SDSU Police Department uses foot patrol to access their community. Their jurisdiction includes the university campus, SDSU properties which are city and county wide. All police officers are trained and in compliance with the state’s law enforcement agency. The SDSU Police Department also has created several partnerships within the university community. The SDSU Police=2 0Department uses foot and bicycle patrols making them visible and easily accessible to the community. After a review of the SDSU Police Department’s information it appears they address several of the challenges our class learned about community policing.
Works Cited
The South Dakota State University Police Department Website, (2009), Retrieved From, http://www3.sdstate.edu/Administration/UniversityPoliceDepartment/LawEnforcementonCampus/
Offices, Total Personnel, Sworn Personnel, and the Number of Personnel per 100,000 Residents.
Local Agencies
Number of Agencies: 93
Number of Personnel: 1269
Per 100,000 Residents: 165
Sworn Number of Personnel: 915
Per 100,000 Residents: 119
State Agencies
Number of Personnel: 229
Per 100,000 Residents: 30
Sworn Number of Personnel: 154
Per 100,000 Residents: 20
Sherriff’s Office
Number of Agencies: 66
Number of Personnel: 841
Per 100,000 Residents: 109
Sworn Number: 154
Per 100,000 Residents: 50
With a high crime rate they should have more sworn officers than what they currently have. 119, twenty and fifty officer’s per 100,000 residents does not seem like enough to fully protect the community and bring down the crime rate.
With South Dakota having a fairly high crime rate 119, twenty and fifty officer’s are not a lot to keep crime to a minimum. If people see that there are not many officer’s this is a good reason for the crime rate to be high. If people in the town and state know that there are few officer’s patrolling for crime than they will be more likely to commit crimes knowing that there is that possibility that they will not be caught. With few officers it is impossibly for them to concentrate on all types of crimes. Therefore certain crimes would not be there first call, causing the crime rate to be at a high rate.
All Works Cited
Photo:
Photograph retrieved on September, 27, 2009 from: http://www.mobridgepolice.org/MPD1946c.jpg
History of the Mobridge Police Department of South Dakota:
Larsen, Tony M., & Mobridge Police Department (2009). Mobridge Police Department - MPD history Retrieved from http://www.mobridgepolice.org/history.htm
Police Officer Issues:
Larsen, Tony M., & Mobridge Police Department (2009). Mobridge Police Department - MPD history Retrieved from http://www.mobridgepolice.org/history.htm Larsen, Tony M., & Mobridge Police Department (2009). Mobridge Police – MPD Enforcement Programs. Retrieved from http://www.mobridgepolice.org/programs/index.htm
Police Issues Now:
Video: Video retrieved from YouTube on September, 27, 2009 from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0b-sGmDNyg&feature=player_embedded
The South Dakota State University Police Department Website, (2009), Retrieved From, http://www3.sdstate.edu/Administration/UniversityPoliceDepartment/LawEnforcementonCampus/
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