City of Licking Police Department

08/12/2026

Let’s Work Together to End Drunk Driving!

From August 14 through September 7, 2026, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will be working alongside the Licking Police Department to deter drunk driving and prevent tragedies during the Labor Day holiday weekend. The message is clear: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

During the 2024 Labor Day holiday (6 p.m. August 30 - 5:59 a.m. September 3), there were 505 traffic crash fatalities nationwide. Of these 505 fatalities, 34 percent (170) involved a drunk driver. Seventy-seven percent of the impaired drivers killed had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .15 or higher. Among drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 who were killed in crashes over the Labor Day holiday in 2024, 40 percent of those drivers were drunk, with BACs of .08 or higher.

“We want our community members to understand that it’s our first priority to keep people safe, so we’re asking everyone to plan ahead if they know they’ll be out drinking,” said Chief Pat Burton. “The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign is an awareness effort to get the message out that drunk driving is illegal and it kills. Let’s make this a partnership between law enforcement and drivers: Help us protect the community and put an end to this dangerous behavior.”

If a driver intends to drink during a Labor Day festivity, he or she should plan ahead for a safe ride home by securing a designated driver or calling a taxi or rideshare. They shouldn’t wait until after drinking to plan how to get somewhere. Impairment clouds a person’s judgment and endangers others on the road.

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 the Licking Police Department at 573-674-2278.

For more information on impaired driving, visit NHTSA.gov/DrunkDriving.

08/10/2026

Thank you, KO Sweets and Treats, for thinking of the Licking Police Department and sharing these jumbo-sized, delicious cookies!
We appreciate your kindness and generosity. We are truly grateful for the continued support and thoughtfulness of our community!

08/09/2026

Great news! The dogs have been reunited with their family!

Two friendly dogs were found running loose with no owner identification tags. They were last seen near Licking Pentecostal Holiness Church.
The black and brown dog has an injured leg.
Please share to help find their owner. If you recognize these dogs, please let the owner know where they were last seen.
Thank you for helping us get these two back home!

08/03/2026

07/28/2026

07/20/2026

Great news! The missing Corgi has been found and safely reunited with his family. Thank you to everyone who shared the post.

Missing Corgi – Please Help! 🐾

The owners of this 8-month-old, small tan and white Corgi are asking for the community's assistance in locating their dog.

He was last seen in the Chad Street, Karla Street, and Rust Street area.

If you have seen him or know of his whereabouts, please contact the Licking Police Department at 573-674-2278.

Please share this post to help reunite this sweet pup with his family. Thank you for your assistance!

06/30/2026

This past Saturday's Fourth of July celebration at Deer Lick Park was another successful event as our community came together to celebrate 250 years of American independence. It was wonderful to see so many families, friends, and visitors enjoying the festivities. From the many local vendors and activities to the spectacular fireworks display that lit up the night sky, it was a fitting tribute to this historic milestone in our nation's history.

A special thank you goes to Gary Hassell, whose leadership, countless hours of planning, and dedication were instrumental in making this year's celebration possible. Events of this size simply don't happen without the efforts of many people working behind the scenes. We would also like to extend our sincere appreciation to all of the generous sponsors and donors, the volunteers who gave their time, the vendors who participated, the city employees who worked to prepare the grounds, and everyone who helped before, during, and after the event. Your commitment and support are what make celebrations like this possible, and we are grateful for each and every one of you.

The Licking Police Department was proud to host our "Fatal Vision" Impaired Driving Experience, an interactive educational event designed to demonstrate the dangers of impaired driving. Approximately 30 young adults of driving age participated by wearing specialized impairment simulation goggles before navigating a driving course. The goggles simulate the effects of alcohol and drug impairment by altering depth perception, reaction time, balance, and coordination, providing participants with a safe but eye-opening experience of how impairment can drastically affect a person's ability to safely operate a vehicle.

Our goal is simple: to educate young drivers before they ever find themselves in a situation where they must make the critical decision of whether to drive impaired. We hope each participant walked away with a greater understanding of the risks and the importance of making responsible choices behind the wheel. If this experience causes even one person to choose a sober ride home in the future, then it has served its purpose.

This event would not have been possible without the generous support of several outstanding community partners. We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to Stahlman Powersports of Rolla for providing the UTV used during the driving course, the Missouri Department of Transportation – Houston Office for providing traffic cones and safety equipment, the Southeast Coalition for Roadway Safety for supplying the Fatal Vision goggles, educational materials, and other resources, and the City of Licking Maintenance Department for their assistance with cleaning up and supporting the event.

Thank you to everyone who attended, participated, and helped make this year's Fourth of July celebration one to remember. As we celebrated 250 years of freedom, independence, and the American spirit, we were reminded that preserving those freedoms also means looking out for one another. Together, we can continue to make our community a safe place to live, work, and celebrate.

-Chief Burton

06/28/2026

Come and join us as we enjoy the festivities! The Licking Police Department is giving rides to the youngsters and we're doing our Fatal Vision Program for driving age teens and young adults!

06/24/2026

Area teens of driving age and young adults are invited to join the Licking Police Department for an eye-opening experience with the Fatal Vision program from 5 to 9 p.m., during the Independence Day Celebration on Saturday, June 27, at Deer Lick Park.

Fatal Vision is an interactive educational program that uses specialized simulation goggles to demonstrate the effects and dangers of impairment. The program illustrates how alcohol, drugs, prescription medications, drowsiness, poor vision and reduced cognitive abilities can negatively affect a person’s ability to drive.

Impaired driving accounts for approximately 18 percent of traffic fatalities in Missouri, and young adults rank comparatively higher among substance-impaired drivers. Between 2020 and 2024, Texas County experienced 11 fatalities that involved a substance-impaired driver.

Participants will have the opportunity to complete simple activities and standardized sobriety tests both with and without the simulation goggles. This hands-on experience, provided through a partnership between the Licking Police Department, the Southeast Coalition for Roadway Safety and Missouri Department of Transportation, offers a safe and memorable way to understand the risks associated with impaired driving.

By comparing their performance with and without the goggles, participants can see firsthand how impairment affects balance, vision, reaction time, coordination and judgement. The program reinforces the importance of making responsible decisions and highlights the potentially serious consequences of driving while impaired.

The Licking Police Department encourages teens of driving age and young adults to stop by and take part in this valuable education experience.

06/23/2026

The repairs to the Licking Police Department resulting from the recent vandalism have been completed, and our lobby is once again open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for individuals needing police services, including reporting incidents, obtaining information, or accessing department resources.

We appreciate the community’s patience and understanding while these repairs were being completed.

Additionally, residents may now stop by the Police Department to obtain their free yard sale permits. Permits are available through the front office during normal business hours.

If you need assistance from the Licking Police Department, our staff is here to help

-Chief Burton