Lake Norden Police Department

05/20/2026

1st Annual Cops & Bobbers! Join us for fishing, food, dunk a cop, and more! June 27th at Lake Norden Park Drive In. 🚓🍦🎣

05/13/2026

Seat Belts Saves Lives
Buckle Up May 11th – May 31st, and Every Day

The Lake Norden Police Department, the South Dakota Department of Public Safety-Office of Highway Safety, and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is urging drivers to buckle up ahead of the Click It or Ticket seat belt safety campaign. The national high-visibility seat belt enforcement effort, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, runs May 11th-31st, 2026.
Seat belt use should be an automatic habit for drivers and passengers alike. During the Click It or Ticket campaign, we’ll be working with our fellow law enforcement officers across local and state lines to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers. Not buckling up could mean a ticket, or worse, risking a life.
In 2024, there were 9,758 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes. The national seat belt use rate in 2024 was 91.2%, which is good — but it can be better. The other 8.8% still need to be reminded that seat belts save lives. Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night.
One of the focuses of the Click It or Ticket seat belt campaign is nighttime enforcement. NHTSA data shows a higher number of unrestrained occupant fatalities happen at night (56% between the hours of 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m.). Of the males killed in crashes in 2023, more than half (53%) were unrestrained. For females killed in crashes, 41% were not buckled up.
Buckle Up the Right Way
• Place the shoulder belt across the middle of the chest and away from the neck.
• Lay the lap belt across the hips and not the stomach.
• NEVER place the seat belt behind the back or under arms.
We are asking friends and family to remind each other to buckle up in the front and back seats and to consider changing their habits if they don’t. Seat belts save lives, and everyone — front seat and back, child and adult — needs to remember to buckle up.
For more information on the Click It or Ticket seat belt high-visibility enforcement campaign, please visit NHTSA.gov/ClickIt and https://drivesafesd.com.
Sgt. Cody Groves
Lake Norden Police Department

Wear your seat belt every time—no matter how uncomfortable it feels or how far you're going. Because there's no such thing as a good excuse for not buckling up.

05/13/2026

The Lake Norden Police Department is proud to welcome Reserve Officer Matt Baer to our team.

Matt brings over nine years of law enforcement experience and has recently chosen to join the Lake Norden Police Department to volunteer his time in service to our community. During this past Monday’s City Council meeting, Matt was officially sworn in and took the oath to uphold the law and faithfully serve the citizens of Lake Norden.

In April, I stood before the Law Enforcement Training Commission and received their blessing to officially begin our own Police Reserve Program. There has been a great deal of paperwork, planning, and many hoops to jump through to make this program a reality, but it has been well worth the effort. This program is an important step forward for our department and our community.

With Matt’s experience, leadership, and dedication, he will play an important role in helping build and strengthen this new Reserve Officer Program. As the program continues to grow, we look forward to adding more reserve officers to our ranks to further enhance public safety, community service, and security throughout our city.

Please join us in welcoming Matt to the Lake Norden Police Department family. We are grateful for his willingness to serve and protect our community.

05/02/2026

Lake Norden Police Department – Public Announcement

On April 7th, at approximately 2:00 a.m., a local business on Jay Headley Street reported the theft of approximately $3,000 worth of copper.

We ask all residents to remain vigilant. If you have items of value on your property, please ensure they are properly secured. Additionally, this is a reminder to always lock your vehicles and remove any valuables from plain view.

If you observed any suspicious activity or have information related to this incident, please contact the Lake Norden Police Department.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping keep our community safe.

12/18/2025

Hwy 28 over by the park drive inn has zero visibility. Please slow down and take your time getting to your destination.

12/15/2025

This dog is at 1018 Vesper Ave in Lake Norden. Does anyone know whose dog this is? It’s hard to catch him lol

12/10/2025

12/07/2025

Even with the weather, we still had a good turnout. We had some creative floats and it was good to see the families enjoy themselves. Merry Christmas and stay warm

12/05/2025

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over:
Deterring Drunk Driving
This Winter Holiday Season

From December 12th , 2025, through January 1st, 2026, the South Dakota Department of Public
Safety-Office of Highway Safety, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration and Lake Norden Police Department will step up efforts to stop
impaired driving and protect road users’ safety in alignment with the winter holiday high-
visibility enforcement campaign, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.
Like other festive seasons, the winter holidays are a time of year when many alcohol-
impaired-driving fatalities occur. In the combined Decembers of 2019-2023, 4,931 road users
were killed in traffic crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver. In December 2023 alone,
there were 1,038 alcohol-impaired-driving fatalities, 697 of which involved a driver with a
blood alcohol concentration of .15 g/dL or higher — nearly twice the legal limit in almost
every state. In South Dakota during the 2019-2023 December months there were 15 people
killed, and 237 people injured in alcohol involved traffic crashes.
Driving impaired is not only illegal, it is dangerous and never acceptable. Law enforcement
officers will be out in full force to pull over impaired drivers and remove them from the roads
to ensure our community stays safe. We ask everyone to follow the law and do their part to
keep themselves and other road users safe throughout the winter holiday season. Drunk
driving fatalities can be prevented when everyone keeps road safety in mind as they prepare
for holiday celebrations.
Drivers should be safe during this winter holiday season by planning ahead if they intend to
drink. They shouldn’t wait until after drinking to plan how to get somewhere. Impairment
clouds a person’s judgment. Drivers should secure a designated sober driver or call a taxi or
rideshare for a sober ride home.
If a driver finds they are unable to drive, they should give their keys to a sober driver so that
person can get them home safely. When a friend has been drinking and is considering driving,
friends should be proactive — take away the keys and help them get a sober ride home. If
anyone spots a drunk driver, contact local law enforcement.
For more information on impaired driving, visit www.nhtsa.gov/risky-driving/drunk-driving.
and https://drivesafesd.com/.

Sgt. Cody Groves
Lake Norden Police Department

11/25/2025

No travel advised in Hamlin County. Visibility is down to zero at times, making travel very difficult! Several vehicles are in the ditch, and a couple are blocking the roadways this evening.

Visit sd511.org for road reports.