Oakes Police Department

05/22/2026

This Memorial Day weekend, fire up the grill, spend time with family and friends, and enjoy what looks to be a great weekend once the rain passes tonight. If you're traveling, be safe. If you're celebrating, drink responsibly. Just don't forget what this day is really about. Somewhere there's a family with an empty seat at the table because someone chose to serve. Remember them.

04/30/2026

PUBLIC SAFETY NOTICE — CHILD SAFETY WARNING

The Oakes Police Department, in coordination with Dickey County State’s Attorney Kimberly Radermacher, is issuing a public safety warning regarding a dangerous criminal network that federal and multi-state law enforcement have identified as actively targeting children through online gaming platforms and social media applications, including Discord, Roblox, TikTok, and Instagram.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has confirmed awareness of this network and characterized it as dangerous, with operations spanning multiple states and countries.

HOW THIS NETWORK OPERATES
— Members make contact with children through gaming platforms and social media, often posing as peers or online friends
— Members use threats and coercion to manipulate victims, including threatening to expose personal information or contact families, schools, or peers
— The group has been linked to exploiting and manipulating minors

WARNING SIGNS FOR PARENTS
— Secrecy about online activity or closing screens when a parent approaches
— Conversations with individuals they have never met in person
— Unexplained gifts, gaming currency, or gift card requests
— Unapproved apps installed on their device, particularly Discord or Telegram
— Signs of anxiety or behavioral changes connected to online activity
— Mentions of keeping online friendships secret from parents

WHAT PARENTS SHOULD DO
— Talk openly with your child about who they interact with online
— Review applications on your child’s devices and know their purpose
— Enable parental controls on gaming platforms and social media
— Preserve any suspicious messages and contact law enforcement
— If you believe your child has been contacted, call us immediately

A MESSAGE TO YOUNG PEOPLE
If you or someone you know has had contact with this group, you have done nothing wrong. You are not in trouble. We are here to help, not to judge. Please speak with a parent, a trusted adult, or contact us directly.

Oakes Police Department: 701-742-2172

Online exploitation of children can also be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-843-5678 or cybertipline.org.

Please share this post to help keep our community’s children safe.

04/30/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18gbndgToE/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Well deserved! Huge congratulations to Oakes Volunteer Ambulance on being named North Dakota EMS Service of the Year. Thank you for everything you do for our community—proud to serve alongside you.

04/15/2026

The City of Oakes will be conducting a routine siren test today at 10:00 AM.
This is only a test. There is no emergency.
Thank you for your understanding.
— Oakes Police Department

03/10/2026

⚠️ SCAM ALERT⚠️

We want to make our community aware that several residents have recently received text messages claiming they owe money for unpaid fines or toll violations. These are scams.

North Dakota has no toll roads, and no government agency will ever contact you by text demanding payment for fines or violations. These scams are becoming increasingly convincing. They use official-looking language, real agency names, and create a sense of urgency to get you to act before you think it through. New variations are showing up almost daily, so please stay alert.

We also want to make a point of reaching out to our elderly residents. Seniors are frequently targeted by scammers, and we'd encourage everyone to take a few minutes to talk to the older family members and neighbors in your life. Make sure they know what to watch for.

If you receive a suspicious text or call:
🚫 Do not click any links
🚫 Do not reply or provide any personal or payment information
✅ Delete the message and report it to your cell provider

If you're ever unsure whether a message is legitimate, please don't hesitate to contact us before taking any action. We are always happy to help.

Attached is a photo of an example of a text message that has been received. Additionally, here is a link to an article referencing these scams from last summer:

https://keyzradio.com/scam-alert-north-dakota-highway-patrol-isnt-texting-you-fines-or-asking-for-donations/

03/02/2026

Good information for parents.

Parents & kids - protect your social accounts from strangers. Scammers and abusers are using artificial intelligence (AI) to create and share sexually explicit images of children, sometimes by “nudifying” photos found on social media. The Internet Watch Foundation has warned this is a serious and growing problem. Their first October 2023 study found over 20,000 AI-generated images on a dark-web forum in one month, with more than 3,000 depicting criminal child sexual abuse.

A recent local case shows how real this threat is: a Barnes County (North Dakota) man admitted he used AI to create n**e photos and videos of teenage girls from images he took off their Instagram accounts and was sentenced for possessing CSAM. https://ow.ly/YYPP50YmATv

Quick steps parents & kids can take right now:
• Make accounts private and regularly review your followers/friends. Don’t accept requests from strangers.
• Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA) and use unique, strong passwords.
• Disable location tagging/geotags on posts and photos.
• Limit what you share: avoid full-name + school + routine + home photos in public posts. Treat profile photos and school-uniform pics as sensitive.
• Teach kids never to DM or share images with people they don’t know. Screenshots can be manipulated or used to create fake/AI images.
• If someone asks for sexual images or tries to coerce a child - block, preserve screenshots, and report to the platform and local authorities immediately.
• Check privacy settings on apps used by your kids (review them together) and keep apps/OS updated.

Why this matters: AI tools are making fake-but-realistic sexual images easier to create and spread, overwhelming safety systems and retraumatizing victims. Experts and news outlets are raising alarms and urging stronger detection and legal action.

If you see suspicious activity or think a child’s image has been used, report it to the platform, your local police, and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC). Share this post to help parents and kids in your community stay safer.

02/27/2026

The updated snow forecast is showing 4-5 inches of snow possible this weekend. Please plan accordingly and help our city crew do their job by removing vehicles, trailers, and any other property from the streets before the snow arrives.

Vehicles left on the street during snow removal operations may delay clearing and may be subject to ticketing or towing.

We understand it's easy to become complacent after a few nice days, but winter isn't done with us yet.

❄️ Winter Reminder – Snow Emergency Routes Now in Effect ❄️

With snow in the forecast this weekend, it’s a good time to remind everyone that Snow Emergency Routes are now in effect as of November 1st till April 1st.

Parking is not allowed on designated Snow Emergency Routes between 2:00 AM and 6:00 AM.

For a list of affected streets and additional details, please refer to the Snow Emergency Route flyer.

Your cooperation will help our city crews clear the streets more efficiently, making it safer for everyone who needs to travel.

02/17/2026

We understand the concerns about off-highway vehicle (OHV) use within city limits, and we want to be transparent about the situation. This issue will be reviewed at next month's city council meeting. The rules described reflect the current ordinance as it exists today. We encourage anyone with concerns to attend the meeting or to contact their council members directly. Your feedback is important to us.

01/27/2026

Tonight's the night!! We hope to see everyone out to support the boys basketball team and hang out with their favorite local superheros 🦸‍♂️!!

Remember kiddos can dress up as their favorite first responder or health care professional and their name will be put in a drawing for this goody basket! JV boys starts at 5:30, see you there!

01/15/2026

Calling all kiddos!!!! In just a few short weeks we are hosting Super Hero night at the boys basketball game here in Oakes!! The old gym will be full of games, coloring, and hanging out with the superhero's of our community. We hope to see you there!