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New After-Hours Phone Policy
Posted: December 17th, 2009

Starting the beginning of 2010, Watertown Police Dispatch Center will take after hours, weekends and holidays phone calls for the Sheriff's Office.  Citizen's of Hamlin County will be able to report any non-emergency criminal activity by calling 605-783-3232 after hours.  When the caller calls the office, a message stating you have reach the Hamlin County Sheriff's Office after hours and if you would like an officer to come to your location, press 0.  By pressing 0 you will be forwarded to the Watertown Police Dispatch Center.  The dispatcher will gather important information from the caller and remain on the line (if need to be) until the officer is on scene.  If the Sheriff's Office number is local to you, there will be no long distance charge for being transferred to the Watertown Police Dispatch Center.  All EMERGENCY calls should still be called into 911.

The old policy has calls forwarded to a Hamlin County deputy's cell phone during after business hours.  When these calls come in, officers may be on a traffic stop, important calls or other calls of service which makes it unsafe and hard to gather important information.  Besides the safety factor, cell phones not always working is sometimes a problem in the county.  This new policy would make officers and citizen's much safer and to better serve the county.

Starting January 1st, 2010; this new policy will go into effect.  The Watertown Police Department and the Hamlin County Sheriff's Office is doing a test run for the next three month to see how the program works.  At this time, there is no additional cost to the county to do this test run.    

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Sheriff Dan Mack at 605-783-3232 during normal business hours (8am - 5pm Monday to Friday) or Deputy Alexander by E-mail.