STURGIS, S.D. – With hundreds of thousands of visitors flooding into the Black Hills for the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, local law enforcement is reporting mixed trends in drug-related arrests.
In Sturgis itself, police are seeing an uptick. The Sturgis Police Department reports that officers made 14 felony drug possession arrests and 15 misdemeanor drug/paraphernalia arrests on Aug. 1–2. That’s up from 6 felony and 14 misdemeanor arrests during the same time frame last year.
However, statewide numbers tell a different story. The South Dakota Department of Public Safety, which compiles arrest data from both the Sturgis and Rapid City areas, is reporting an overall decline. From 6 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, to 6 a.m. Monday, Aug. 4, law enforcement recorded 33 felony drug arrests—down from 52 during the same period in 2024. Misdemeanor drug arrests also decreased, from 86 last year to 65 this year.
Last year’s rally was marred by two confirmed overdose deaths, and at least 12 others presented with similar symptoms, according to South Dakota Searchlight. Six of those patients required intubation.
This year, the nonprofit Emily’s Hope is working to prevent similar tragedies by offering free naloxone, a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses. A naloxone box will be available during the rally at the Sturgis Armory, and afterward, it will move to the Sturgis Community Center in partnership with Action for the Betterment of our Community (ABC).
