Sturgis police officer explains the dangers of protecting and serving

STURGIS, S.D. (KEVN) - First responders are the front line of defense in an emergency. This means they can find themselves being placed in dangerous situations.

Dylan Goetsch, an officer with the Sturgis Police Department, explains how seemingly ordinary emergency responses can quickly turn violent and sometimes deadly

“Somedays it might just be proactive traffic enforcement and people calling to ask questions on certain things, could be assaults, DUIs, domestics,” said Goetsch, who joined the police force in 2014.

Expecting the unexpected is standard for many police officers and was the main reason Goetsch wanted to become involved in law enforcement.

But when Goetsch joined the police force at 23 life was much different for him.

“You’re pretty much bulletproof at that point so the dangers, they didn’t really play into a whole lot of decisions,” he explained. “As I’ve gotten older yes, the dangers do come a little bit more into play. You can do everything right and still end up getting hurt, it’s unfortunately a fact of the job.”

The National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund says 136 law enforcement officers died in 2023. The leading causes of death for officers were firearm and traffic-related fatalities.

Goetsch added “It’s very easy to be on guard when you’re going to a domestic or an assault. Traffic stops are something that almost every cop does every day of their shift and it’s very easy to become complacent. My biggest thing is not becoming complacent and just always being aware of any potential dangers that are out there.”

According to the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund, there have been six officer fatalities across the nation this year.

Copyright 2024 KEVN. All rights reserved.