Huron Police Department

Chief	Kevin VanDiepen
Address	239 Wisconsin Ave SW Huron SD 57350
Phone	605-535-8550
Website	https://huronsd.gov/178/Police

Divisions

Patrol Division

The Patrol Division is comprised of 18 full-time sworn officers, divided into four shifts. Each patrol shift works a 12-hour work shift, providing 24-hour coverage to the community. All shifts are supervised by a captain, but also include a sergeant, who serves as an additional first-line supervisor. Patrol officers perform routine traffic enforcement, as well as respond to a variety of calls for service. Calls for service include, but are not limited to: thefts, assaults, burglaries, traffic crashes, and medical emergencies.

Investigations Division

The Investigations Division is responsible for both primary, as well as follow-up investigations on a variety of misdemeanor and felony cases. The current Detective Unit is comprised of 4 plain-clothes detectives. Each detective is trained in a wide range of specialized skills including interview and interrogation, evidence collection, and crime scene photography. In addition to the general training received, each detective also attends training specific to their interest areas, including narcotic investigation, sex crimes, and electronic and cyber-crimes.

HPD Organizational Chart

The organizational chart provides you with a visual depiction of how the Huron Police Department is structured. This will give you an idea of how the different divisions and specialty units are put together and overseen.

Specialty Units

Special Response Team / Crisis Negotiations

The Huron Police Department Special Response Team (SRT) is comprised of 11 tactical operators. Each operator is responsible for various specialty assignments within the team. These assignments include entry personnel, snipers, tactical medics, and less-lethal operators. The SRT also has an attached element of three trained crisis negotiators. SRT responsibilities include incidents such as barricaded subjects, hostage rescues, high-risk apprehensions, and warrant service.

K-9 Unit

The Huron Police Department has maintained a Police Service Dog (K-9) Unit since the inception of the program in 2012. The current K-9 team consists of Sgt. Derek Layher and his canine partner, PSD Cody. Cody is a single-purpose Belgian Malinois, trained and certified in narcotics detection. Unit responsibilities consist of traffic interdiction, search warrants, school searches, and various public demonstrations and educational programs. In addition to his service for the Huron Police Department, Cody also assists various outside agencies. Some of these agencies include the Beadle County Sheriff's Office, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Traffic Unit

The Huron Police Department Traffic Unit is comprised of one officer strictly assigned to traffic enforcement. The Traffic Unit's goal is to reduce traffic crashes and injuries by increasing compliance with traffic laws within the city. The Traffic Unit accomplishes this through both traffic enforcement and education. The Huron Police Department also participates in several state and federal traffic safety programs throughout the year. These programs specifically target traffic violations such as speeding violations, seatbelt use, and DUI offenses, commonly associated with traffic crashes and injuries.

School Resource Officer (SRO)

The Huron Police Department provides a full-time uniformed officer, specifically assigned as the district's School Resource Officer. Although the SRO's office is located in the Huron High School, the officer is available to all schools located within the City of Huron. The SRO acts as a liaison between the law enforcement community and the school system, providing a strong working relationship with both faculty and students. In addition to his law enforcement roles, the SRO also speaks in classrooms upon request.