Hughes County Sheriff's Office - South Dakota

06/08/2026

Please join us in welcoming the new Hughes County Sheriff, Jeff Metzinger!

Sheriff Metzinger brings nearly three decades of law enforcement experience, strong community ties, and valuable professional relationships to the Hughes County Sheriff's Office and we are proud to welcome him.

He began his law enforcement career in 1998 as a certified Pierre Area Reserve Officer, serving with both the Hughes County Sheriff's Office and the Pierre Police Department. In 1999, he was hired full time with the Pierre PD, where he served in a variety of roles and steadily advanced throughout his career.

In 2009, he joined the South Dakota Division of Criminal Justice as a Special Agent, investigating complex cases across the state. Since 2019 he has served with the Attorney General’s office as a Medicaid Fraud Investigator, conducting criminal and civil investigations involving fraud and abuse.

Over the course of his distinguished career, Sheriff Metzinger has served as a Patrol Officer, Patrol Lieutenant, Drug Task Force Agent assigned to the Pierre FBI Office, Fi****ms Training Officer, certified Armorer, SWAT Officer, DCI Bomb Squad Agent, Homicide Investigator, and undercover operative. His extensive experience spans patrol, leadership, training, specialized tactical assignments, and both criminal and civil investigations.

We are excited for the future of our office under Sheriff Metzinger’s leadership and look forward to the positive impact he will have on our staff, partnerships, and most importantly the citizens of Hughes County.

05/21/2026

🚨‼️ Scam Alert ‼️🚨

The Hughes County Sheriff’s Office will NEVER contact you by phone regarding a warrant and instruct you to make a payment over the phone, through gift cards, cryptocurrency, or any electronic payment app.

These scam calls can sound very convincing and intimidating, and callers may try to pressure you into acting quickly or sharing personal information. Please do not provide any personal, banking, or payment information over the phone.

If you ever question whether someone contacting you is truly a deputy from our office, hang up and call us directly to verify.

Hughes County Sheriff’s Office
Monday–Friday | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
605-773-7470

Non-Emergency Dispatch (after hours)
605-773-7410

Please help us spread the word by sharing this post to help protect others from these scams.

05/15/2026

Seat Belts Saves Lives
Buckle Up May 11th – May 31st, and Every Day

The Hughes County Sheriff’s Office, the South Dakota Department of Public Safety-Office of Highway Safety, and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is urging drivers to buckle up ahead of the Click It or Ticket seat belt safety campaign. The national high-visibility seat belt enforcement effort, which coincides with the Memorial Day holiday, runs May 11th-31st, 2026.
Seat belt use should be an automatic habit for drivers and passengers alike. During the Click It or Ticket campaign, we’ll be working with our fellow law enforcement officers across local and state lines to ensure the message gets out to drivers and passengers. Not buckling up could mean a ticket, or worse, risking a life.
In 2024, there were 9,758 unbuckled passenger vehicle occupants killed in traffic crashes. The national seat belt use rate in 2024 was 91.2%, which is good — but it can be better. The other 8.8% still need to be reminded that seat belts save lives. Participating law enforcement agencies will be taking a no-excuses approach to seat belt law enforcement, writing citations day and night.
One of the focuses of the Click It or Ticket seat belt campaign is nighttime enforcement. NHTSA data shows a higher number of unrestrained occupant fatalities happen at night (56% between the hours of 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m.). Of the males killed in crashes in 2023, more than half (53%) were unrestrained. For females killed in crashes, 41% were not buckled up.
Buckle Up the Right Way
• Place the shoulder belt across the middle of the chest and away from the neck.
• Lay the lap belt across the hips and not the stomach.
• NEVER place the seat belt behind the back or under arms.
We are asking friends and family to remind each other to buckle up in the front and back seats and to consider changing their habits if they don’t. Seat belts save lives, and everyone — front seat and back, child and adult — needs to remember to buckle up.
For more information on the Click It or Ticket seat belt high-visibility enforcement campaign, please visit NHTSA.gov/ClickIt and https://drivesafesd.com.

Deputy Gary Nickerson
Hughes County Sheriff’s Office

Wear your seat belt every time—no matter how uncomfortable it feels or how far you're going. Because there's no such thing as a good excuse for not buckling up.

05/04/2026

🚨 Help us give a warm welcome to Deputy Zane Lewis, the newest addition to the Hughes County Sheriff’s Office!

Deputy Lewis started his law enforcement career with the Pierre Police Department in August 2024 and was sworn in with our office on April 27, 2026.

He is known for his strong work ethic, commitment to his family, and positive attitude. Deputy Lewis is a great fit for our team and we’re excited to have him serving alongside us and protecting our community. 🚔

Welcome to the team, Deputy Lewis!

04/21/2026

🚨 **SCAM ALERT – FAKE COURT NOTICE** 🚨

Residents are reporting letters that look like an official South Dakota Traffic Division Court Notice with threats of license suspension, collections, and a QR code to “pay immediately” being sent via text.

💡 Remember:
Real courts do NOT demand payment via QR codes, random links, or use threatening letters without proper legal service.

• Do NOT scan the QR code or send money
• Do NOT call numbers listed on the letter

Please share to warn others. Scammers rely on panic and urgency. Stay safe!

03/26/2026

This morning at approximately 8:52 am the Sheriff’s Office received a call for a possibly burglary in Blunt.

The suspect in the video and photos circulating Facebook was identified and apprehended. They are currently incarcerated at the Hughes County Jail.

Thank you for the public’s assistance!

03/11/2026

🚨 We’re Hiring! 🚨

The Hughes County Sheriff’s Office is looking for our next Deputy Sheriff to join the team! If you’re someone who enjoys serving your community, working with a great group of people, and no two days being the same, this might be the job for you.

✔ Competitive pay
✔ Great team environment
✔ Meaningful work serving Hughes County

Whether you’re already certified or looking to start a career in law enforcement, we’d love to hear from you.

👉 Apply today and help us keep Hughes County safe!

For more information or to apply, visit: https://hughescounty.org/hr?&def0=FyDsq%252BFRjUvPwQj6r73eRQ%3D%3D&bli=AGgo8%2FhUwZU9OdyH6iAUOg%3D%3D

02/05/2026

Yesterday, Dustin Drew was officially sworn in as the interim Sheriff of Hughes County! With many years of dedicated service to our community, Dustin is a tremendous asset to the county. Join us in congratulating him on this well-deserved new role!

06/06/2025

Congratulations, Deputy Jacen Hancock
196th LET Coler-Williams Award Recipient

Hughes County Deputy Sheriff Jacen Hankock graduated with top honors Friday from the 196th Law Enforcement Training Academy in Pierre.

Deputy Hankock received the Coler-Williams Award which is presented to the top recruit in each academy class. The award is named as a memorial to FBI Special Agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams who were killed in the line of duty in 1975.

South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley presented the award to Deputy Hancock.

36 recruits were certified for duty in the 196th LET academy. HCSO congratulates each on their graduation!

Detention Deputy Deb Pease presented Deputy Hancock with his LET certification. Pease is the longest serving uniformed officer at HCSO. How long, she won't exactly say!

06/05/2025

HCSO Cruiser Build 2025
We are so close!

Our HCSO 2025 Police Interceptor is close, oh so close, to being finished!

A mile of wires, half a ton of protective gear, and lights - lots of lights! All perfectly routed and expertly installed by GT Upfitting of Pierre, SD.

Graphics are on and the radios programmed. Video cameras are active and radar calibrated. What could possibly be left?

How about a state of the art mobile data terminal and wireless network? This isn’t just a cop car, its a high tech mobile office powered by incredible technology.

Over its five year expected service life, this technology will be outdated soon enough.

But not today! Today it’s about as good as we can build it.

Get ready, it’s about time to put it to work! But which Deputy will get this prized ride?