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I'm writing a short series of stories where the action is based in a fictional US State somewhere near Colorado/Nebraska/S. Dakota.
If there is anyone here who knows the area and/or importantly knows how a County Police Department works then I would be most grateful to hear from you if you are willing to help me get my stories right.
Samantha.
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South Dakota
South Dakota is a fictional state. It first appeared in a Hitchcock movie. The hoax has become so widespread that the electoral college actually awards three votes to pranksters who show up as delegates. Rand McNally got in on the elaborate joke and has included the ersatz state in its maps. Driving west from Minnesota you either enter the northern part of Nebraska or the southern part of Dakota. I've driven that part of the country many times. A tip-off is a supposed mountain carved with the faces of the four best presidents . . . and Ronald Reagan isn't one of them. Another clue is that the state Capital is a town called Pierre. What's the chances of that being real?
Angela Rasch (Jill M I)
Ha-ha
Mt Rushmore is IMHO a bit of a con/rip-off. You pay (currently) $11 to park yet you can see everything you want from the road. Also for a NP your Annual Pass isn't valid. Does that not say it all?
When I visited, I stayed all of 35 mins last month.
There were also plenty of 'Impeach Obama' signs around in SD.
Defintitely a bit of a time warp in that part of the world.
Search the web.
I suggest you search legal websites on the subject. That might help. Also, keep in mind you are writing a work of fiction. A bit of artist license is expected. It does not have to absolutely exact.
You should be fine. As long as you get most of the facts right and show respect for the subject material. No necessarily the characters you write. But, the material facts, of who, what, and where, in the setting you are creating.
And worse come to worse, and someone calls you on a error. Just correct it, on the fly, and move on.
S. Dakota Picture
I took this shot in the Badlands NP just after dawn on 25th May 2015
I call it 'Goat with Attitude'.
I was raised in
Colorado back in the day 1959 to 1973. Each township has its own character but all leaned to being Conservative [ cir 1940-50 ]
but still common sense was the driving force. County tends to be a lot more political leaning sharply towards who ever signs their pay check. I our county they were quick to write a ticket, or arrest a normal person but risk avoidance when dealing with a really bad person. In our town ship of Howard one such person violently attacked a number of people making off with there property. It was an unknown sniper who sent this rogue elephant to hell. This is the exception not the rule as people have grown up a bit realizing they were not as isolated.
I hope this is some help.
Huggles
Michele
With those with open eyes the world reads like a book
County Police?
You mean the Sheriff's Department? There's the law that all cops follow... but the Sheriff of every county runs things differently.
Our last Sheriff wouldn't let the Deputy's run traffic at all. So inside city limits you had to watch your speed, but once you got on the highway only thing you had to worry about was the state troopers (and only 2 in the county so it was fairly rare to run into one) They spent most their time working car wrecks, serving court summons, or busting meth labs. Of course at night they'd stalk the bars at closing time to nail the drunk drivers and responding to 911 calls (like a fence broke and a herd of cattle wandered onto the highway)