Community Resource Officer Brady Lieuwen and Therapy Dog Leo
Sioux Falls is a fantastic city with incredible people. The police department receives tremendous support from the citizens, and officers work hard to uphold the trust provided.
An essential part of making Sioux Falls a great place to live is keeping citizens and visitors safe. The Sioux Falls Police Department is a key part of that mission, but the police officers don’t just respond to and reduce crime—they are an important part of the community.
The police department has been involved in community policing for several decades. Community policing can take many forms, but ultimately it’s about connecting the community to officers. By removing barriers and opening lines of communication, citizens can feel comfortable working with police to prevent and solve crime.
The police department is proud to sponsor multiple community outreach programs, and Community Resource Officer Brady Lieuwen is a driving force behind many of those programs.
Officer Lieuwen’s duties include connecting and interacting with the community. He works directly with programs such as the New Immigrant Citizen Education, Community Ambassador Program, the Citizen’s Police Academy, Coffee with a Cop, and several others.
In 2023, the Sioux Falls Police Department created a therapy dog program with the primary focus of assisting police officers in a therapeutic nature. Leo, a golden retriever, completed his therapy dog certification in February 2024.
While Leo’s main job is providing therapeutic assistance to officers, there are times when he will attend community outreach functions that may include visits to local schools and getting spotted at various community events like National Night Out.
You can visit with Officer Lieuwen and Leo at a Coffee with a Cop event or this August as part of the National Night Out!
Sioux Falls Police Department
320 W 4th St
Sioux Falls, SD 57104
605.367.7212
siouxfalls.gov/healthsafety/police
