McKenzie County Sheriff’s Office 2025 Activity Report
Travis Bateman
Farmer Staff Writer
The 2025 annual report released by the McKenzie County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) paints a picture of a rural law enforcement agency balancing oilfield-era demands, expanding public safety responsibilities, increasing traffic enforcement pressures and ongoing debates surrounding dispatch and emergency communications in one of western North Dakota’s busiest counties.
The 22-page report outlines staffing, training, crime statistics, vehicle crashes, dispatch operations, truck enforcement, budget data and community outreach activities throughout 2025. While the document presents the Sheriff’s Office in a favorable administrative light, the statistics also reveal larger public safety trends and operational realities inside McKenzie County.
Executive Summary
The Sheriff’s Office reported: 16,465 total calls for service; 3,416 case reports; 2,041 citations issued; 256 total DUI/reckless driving-related incidents; 209 overweight truck enforcement cases resulting in nearly $600,000 in assessed fees; 132 registered sex offenders; more than 6,900 combined employee training hours; 26,033 dispatch calls handled locally, excluding State Radio traffic; a sheriff’s office budget exceeding $8.5 million.
The report also highlights an agency that continues to expand specialized enforcement, community engagement and local dispatch functions while operating amid larger countywide conversations about the future of emergency communications and public safety coordination.
Staffing Structure Reflects Large Rural Coverage Area
The organizational chart shows a broad operational structure for a rural sheriff’s office, including:
A Patrol division; investigations division; school resource officers; truck enforcement; civil process division; dispatch/communications center; K9 units; and administrative staff
The breakdown of staff in each department shows 16 patrol deputies; 5 detectives; 4 patrol sergeants; 4 patrol corporals; 2 truck enforcement deputies; 2 K9 units; 8 communications technicians; 4 communications specialists; 3 administrative support staff in one division and 2 in another .
The structure reflects the demands of policing a geographically massive county dominated by oil development, rural highways, industrial traffic and remote population centers.
The report shows a mix of experienced leadership and newer personnel. Several command staff members have between 10 and 25 years of service, while many deputies and communications staff have less than two years of experience.
The staffing composition reflects both continuity in leadership and the presence of newer employees, a pattern often observed in rural, energy-producing regions in the western United States.
Training Hours Show Heavy
Investment in Sworn Personnel
The Sheriff’s Office reported 6,208 training hours for sworn staff; 511 training hours for communications personnel; and 207 training hours for administrative staff.
While the emphasis on sworn officer training substantially outweighs dispatch and administrative instruction. The communications center maintained quality assurance scores near or at 100 percent throughout most of the year.
According to the communications center, it undergoes third-party evaluation through “Moetivations,” a quality assurance system based on APCO and NENA national standards.
McKenzie County’s monthly dispatch evaluations ranged from 98.60 percent to 100 percent.
The Moetivations results come as county officials continue to debate emergency communications, including proposals to return 911 dispatch operations to local control. The report highlights dispatch performance and professionalism as policy and operational discussions over emergency communications continue in McKenzie County.
Dispatch Numbers Reveal
Significant Call Volume
The McKenzie County Communications Center reportedly handled 26,033 dispatched calls in 2025, “excluding” State Radio traffic.
That statistic is significant because McKenzie County currently operates within a hybrid environment involving both local communications operations and the North Dakota State Radio/ECC system.
The “excluding state radio” notation suggests the local center continues to maintain a substantial operational role despite broader PSAP debates.
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