A question about Martin, South Dakota

[rmillin]

Does anyone know if the Police Officer position is still open?

What is the community view on the Police Dept. and the officer(s)?

I am a Police Officer from rural Wisconsin and I'm considering contacting Chief Strand regarding this position, but before doing so I would like to hear input from the people that live in Martin.

Any additional information or additional comment from the posted replies would be appreciated.

[martin-ite]

I was born and raised in martin but moved away after HS and probably wouldn't move back there even though I still have family there due to my husbands career.

Martin is a small town but hard to get to know people espically if you don't give it a chance. Every small town has it's gossip however, it's nice for those who have kids in school and to be involved in the community. The people are nice and of course there is going to be some alcohol and related problems like most towns of its similarity. It is located between 2 Native American Reservations so there is a good-sized population of them in Martin.

Some say Martin is going downhill recently but as are other small towns with the popularity of the city life. The Co-OP just went out of business and the school board had to do some faculty downsizing. However, there are still people who deeply care about the Communtiy. YouthWorkers visit everysummer and there is still a fair also. People still comeback for reunions, holidays, fairtime and just for a small town visit.

The cops there sometimes get a "bad rap" for tailgating and not letting the young people be young like it used to be. and I think they feel like there is nothing else to do there espically since the cops have been known to harass them.
the City and county recently split up their departments but I'm not sure the status of it today. If you want more info you should just visit Martin, or contact the Bennett County Booster (newspaper) for an issue.

I don't want to give Martin a certain image because it depends of what you make of it, who you hang around with, and the decisions you make.

Hope this helps!!

[ladynitenday]

I worked for Kraft and spent a fair amount of time at one of the grocerys there plus have spent a lot of time visiting friends in Martin. As far as I can see it is just like any other small town. You have good, bad and indifferent people there. I was an EMT for several years in Oregon and saw just as many drunks, MVAs, stabbings and such around central Oreg and the Portland metropolitan area and small towns as around Martin. Drugs and booze are everywhere these days and yes, it affects the Native Americans really bad but it does a lot of whites too. Can't see why anyone would tell people not to live there. Our friends are mixed as one family has been there for years and the other 2 are fairly new. After all, the more people who move into town will help by bringing more taxes and school age students to the district which will help in the long run.
When you live in a small town you can expect gossip, noses in the air at new people and feeling like an outsider. It just takes awhile to fit in sometimes. If you act like being from another state or a large town or city makes you better than the locals they aren't going to accept you very well. I have seen that too darn many times and then the new folk get angry because they don't fit in but won't accept it might be their fault.
It seems like everywhere here is a long way from somewhere important. I have to drive 3 hours to get some medical procedures done, but living here outweighs the bad stuff by a long way. There are no local yarn shops but the internet is great for getting things you can't buy close by. Plus it's neat to become friends with the UPS and FedEx drivers who bring it. It can be like Christmas when you open the packages.

[ahul]

hey everyone. i just wanted to clarify something. i said there was a huge alcoholism problem in martin. i never said it was a native american problem. from what i saw coming through the ER. it was close to 50-50. everyone just assumed i was only talking about indians... and i certainly was not!
just wanted to be clear. thanks!

[wlsclll]

My husband and I may be moving to Martin. I am a public school administrator and a school psychologist. What are the chances of becoming emplyed there? How much is an average house going for theese days? It sounds like a great place to live. Rose Marie