South Dakota Officer of the Year; awarded in his hometown

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KEVN) - After preventing large amounts of dangerous substances from entering his hometown, an officer from the Spearfish Police Department was named the South Dakota Officer of the Year.

Officer Reece Walno’s commitment to serving the community was evident last August when he carried out what at first looked like a routine traffic stop for speeding. He saw several signs of criminal activity, which resulted in a controlled substance arrest, leading drug agents to seize more than a pound of a controlled substance.

Walno continues to protect Spearfish, a town that he holds close to his heart.

“I grew up in Spearfish, and I was lucky enough to come back and work for the Spearfish Police Department again. I love being here, and I love being able to do the work that I do to help preserve what I grew up in. I love Spearfish, and I see it as a really great community, and I want to be able to keep it that way, so I think every little thing that we do through community policing, drug enforcement, DUI enforcement, and keeping everybody safe is just to keep the town as good as the way that I grew up in it,” said Walno.

Walno’s achievement is an example of the Spearfish Police Department’s mission to uphold public safety and maintain the wellbeing of the community.

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