South Dakota goes the extra mile during Sturgis Motorcycle Rally: Bridging coverage gaps on a budget

Meade County Sheriff’s Office serves one of South Dakota’s most challenging jurisdictions, covering over 3,000 square miles of prairie terrain with unique communication obstacles. A key concern was a notorious radio dead zone on a stretch of Interstate 90 known as “the gauntlet.” In this area, a deputy’s call for backup could be met with silence, a critical officer safety issue that demanded a solution. Additionally, every year, the small town of Sturgis transforms as its population of 7,000 swells to over half a million for the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. This massive influx of tourists results in increased public safety demands that drive radio utilization up almost 300% during the rally, creating a complex operational puzzle. 

When budget constraints paired with critical timelines limited the potential for quickly building new radio towers as a solution to these challenges, Meade County Sheriff’s Office and South Dakota’s team knew they needed an innovative approach that maximized their existing resources while solving critical communication gaps.

Reshaping critical communications with LTE and interoperability solutions

Meade County Sheriff’s Office and State Radio trusted Motorola Solutions when implementing a forward-thinking communications strategy that not only solved long-standing coverage issues but also set a new standard for special events that rely on regional collaboration and interoperability.

This solution leveraged Critical Connect, SmartConnect, APX N70 and APX NEXT radios to address coverage challenges. The APX N70 radios, with optional LTE capability, became the cornerstone of their solution, while Critical Connect enabled seamless cross-border communication with neighboring states, who often assist Meade County during large events such as the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

“We are doubling down on LTE because we want to fill gaps in portable radio coverage statewide,” said Trent Nincehelser, Radio Operations Manager for South Dakota. “This makes it possible for us to cover rural areas without the large expenditure and years of construction   projects that achieving statewide portable RF coverage build out would entail.”

The new system strategically leveraged existing LTE infrastructure to extend communication reach without the massive capital investment of additional towers. SmartConnect technology allows their radios to automatically connect to available Wi-Fi networks in schools, hospitals and government buildings, creating a secure yet expansive communication network. The solution proved particularly effective in marble and stone buildings, such the State Capitol, where traditional RF signals struggle to penetrate. By integrating these technologies with their existing P25 core system, they created a unified platform that prepared them for unpredictable situations while maximizing their current resources.

“Motorola Solutions’ excellence in both P25 and LTE made all the difference,” said Chief Deputy James Johns. “It took our coverage even further and extended what we could do with our existing resources. The APX N70 radios absolutely exceeded our expectations. When we put these in the hands of our deputies and they knew they could hit a button and talk to someone with no more concerns about dead spots, it was a relief.”

The system’s interoperability capabilities also proved invaluable during emergency planning. Using Critical Connect, officers can communicate directly with Wyoming agencies for mutual aid requests should the need for responder exceed South Dakota’s capacity or if mass casualties occur. It also provides a seamless way to pass off active pursuits, allowing deputies to coordinate with out-of-state agencies when chases cross jurisdictional boundaries.

Evolving public safety communications

The success of Motorola’s integrated solution has transformed how Meade County approaches public safety communications. By finding a solution to achieve reliable coverage without constructing new radio towers, they’ve opened new possibilities for quickly expanding their system within budget constraints. As the county strives to maintain exceptional service during high-profile events like Sturgis while tackling ongoing challenges like the methamphetamine epidemic, reliable communication throughout the state has helped officers do their job safely and efficiently.

Critical system improvements were evident in the numbers. At the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally site alone, RF usage increased 294% during the event while system busy signals decreased by 98.3% from 2024 to 2025. The county handled over 1,500 calls for service during the rally – 300 more than the previous year due to increased attendance – while maintaining efficient communication throughout the event. The integration of SmartConnect and APX radios added two voice channels and increased site capacity by 67%, ensuring mission-critical communications remained uninterrupted despite the massive influx of visitors.

“We have a limited budget, so through analysis and keeping up on innovation, I find what can give us the most bang for our buck,” explained Nincehelser. “You need to choose products that are forward-thinking, and Motorola Solutions could bridge that gap for us. It seems logical that this is the most cost-effective and expedient way to bridge portable radio coverage gaps in South Dakota without large expenditures, additional technical staff, and prolonged timelines that traditional RF expansion would require.”

Looking ahead, the county sees a path to further their investment through Motorola Solutions’ expanding drone offering following its acquisition of Silvus Technologies, which designs and develops software-defined high-speed mobile ad-hoc network (MANET) technology that enables highly secure data, video and voice communications without the need for fixed infrastructure. 

This forward-thinking approach exemplifies how the right technology partnership can transform operational capabilities while respecting fiscal realities. As Johns summarized, “Motorola Solution’s offers allow us to creatively fit together technologies to meet our communication needs while staying within budgets and unique, challenging circumstances.”