South Dakota Department of Public Safety

**About the South Dakota Department of Public Safety** The South Dakota Department of Public Safety includes 14 agencies with the mission to keep South Dakota a safe place in which to live, work, visit and raise a family. **Our agencies work to protect and serve South Dakota by:** - Coordinating with state, local and tribal governments to prevent acts of terrorism. - Communicating [homeland security](https://dps.sd.gov/safety-enforcement/homeland-security) terrorism preventive and response measures to private and public entities. - Providing [highway patrol](https://dps.sd.gov/safety-enforcement/highway-patrol) services that protect our citizens and visitors by promoting public safety through education, enforcement and example. Commercial vehicle regulation is also part of the Highway Patrol. - Providing [highway safety grants and information](https://dps.sd.gov/safety-enforcement/highway-safety/grants). - Compiling and analyzing [accident records](https://dps.sd.gov/records/accident-records) and motor vehicle crash data. - Developing and integrating all [hazard emergency plans](http://dps.sd.gov/emergency-services/emergency-management/preparedness/planning) for disasters. - Assisting state, local, and tribal governments with [emergency management](https://dps.sd.gov/emergency-services/emergency-management) efforts to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate natural and man-made disasters before they occur. - Providing fire prevention services including fire reporting, training, investigation, public education, fire prevention, code enforcement, and other [state fire marshal services](https://dps.sd.gov/emergency-services/state-fire-marshal). - Coordinating a statewide [9-1-1](https://dps.sd.gov/emergency-services/state-9-1-1-coordination) system by providing local governments in South Dakota with technical assistance, funding oversight, and monitoring administrative rule compliance. - Issuing identification, testing, [licensing](https://dps.sd.gov/driver-licensing) and regulating commercial and non-commercial drivers. - Providing [state inspections](https://dps.sd.gov/inspections/state-inspections) and [weights and measures](https://dps.sd.gov/inspections/weights-measures) services for businesses and consumers. - Providing funding to programs that offer shelter, advocacy, crisis counseling and other victims' services to sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, and other violent crimes through our [Victims' Services](https://dps.sd.gov/victims-services) Program. - Providing monetary assistance to victims of violent crimes. - Providing protection for resources and the public that we serve from [SD Wildland Fire](https://wildlandfire.sd.gov/default.aspx)