Reporting & Public Safety

If you need immediate assistance, call 911.

 

 Report a Crime or Submit a Tip - NDTip 411

If you have information about a crime or suspicious activity, you can report it to the Morton County Sheriff's Office by:

  • phone,
  • anonymous text message (text keyword NDMORTON along with your message/tip to 847411),
  • or by using the NDTip app. 

 


 

 

The NDTip app enables the public to share an anonymous tip with our agency and lets the officers respond back creating an anonymous two-way conversation. The NDTip app is available for download for free via the Google Play Store or iTunes App Store. Click the icons below!

 

 

                

  

 

Steps to Submit a Tip

If you witnessed a crime or want to prevent a crime by submitting anonymous information to your local Sheriff’s office or Highway Patrol, these are the steps to start submitting tips using the NDTip app:

  1. Go to the app store and download the “NDTip” app.
  2. Once installed, open the app and select “New Tip.”
  3. Choose the law enforcement agency which corresponds to the location of the crime. You can select your local Sheriff’s Department or Highway Patrol.
  4. Provide any relevant information in your tip as to what crime occurred or where. You can even include an image in your tip by selecting the camera icon.
  5. Once your information has been entered, select the “Submit” button.
  6. You should receive confirmation your tip was sent, and an officer may respond for more information.

*Please note, this program is NOT a substitute for calling 911. If you witness a crime in progress or have an emergency, call 911. The NDTip system is NOT monitored 24/7.

 You can also send anonymous text tips to via your cell phone by texting keyword NDMORTON along with your message/tip to 847411.

ND Game & Fish - report all poaching (RAP)

Abused Adult Resource Center - Bismarck


 

 Crime Prevention

Four Basic Rules of Gun Safety



Owning, possessing, and using a firearm is a large responsibility.  The following rules are a starting point for preventing accidental injury and death involving firearms. 

  • Treat all firearms as if they were loaded
  • Always point the muzzle in a safe direction
  • Be sure of your target and what is beyond it
  • Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot

 



Residential burglary prevention


Lock up your buildings and vehicles.  Most of the time, this is all it takes to deter burglary and theft.  Thieves will usually look for things which can be easily carried away and consumed or converted into cash.  When they encounter difficulty, they usually move on to something easier.



Make your home look lived-in.  When you're gone, consider using timers to activate lights and AM FM radio.  Keep the curtains drawn, and consider window coverings on garage windows to conceal the absence of vehicles.  Motion lights add security to dark areas.  Keep trees and shrubs trimmed.  Make sure the lawn is cut or the driveway is shoveled while you're gone.  Have mail, newspapers, and deliveries held.  Vacant homes that are on the real estate market should be checked regularly. 



Use caution when talking about your movements.   Don't announce to people that you're leaving town, including on Facebook, other social media, or your answering machine.



Report any suspicious activity in your neighborhood to the Office.  Please provide a description of the suspicious behavior.  We rely on help from public to be proactive against criminal activity. 



Homeowners who live outside of Mandan may request house checks when they leave their homes for long periods.  To request a house check, stop by the Morton County Law Enforcement Center and complete a written request. 





Property Identification

It is a good idea to maintain an inventory of personal property in the event a crime report and/ or insurance claim are needed.  A listing of serial numbers and photographs of property may be helpful.  Firearm owners should log the make, model, caliber, and serial numbers of firearms. 

 

National Crime Prevention Council


 

 Identity Theft

What is Identity Theft?

Identity Theft is the unlawful use of someone’s personal and/ or financial information.  The goal of the identity thief is usually to sell personal and financial information, or use that information to fraudulently obtain accounts, credit cards, utilities, medical services, cash, goods and services, etc. 

At some point during your daily life, your personal and/ or financial information can become vulnerable.  It is important to be proactive in keeping personal and financial information as private as possible.  Shredding your unneeded personal and financial documents helps accomplish this. 

Keep an eye on credit cards at businesses, and be aware of card skimming technology.  Skimmers are devices that read card numbers, and can be easily attached to smartphones.  Skimmers can also be placed on legitimate card-reading machines, such as tampered fuel pumps and ATMs.

Ask for credit cards without RFID (radio frequency identification), or use a wallet that protects RFID credit card information.  RFID technology allows thieves access to your credit card number simply by standing next to you with an RFID reading device. 

Identity theft presents many challenges for local law enforcement.  Perpetrators of this type of crime usually operate outside of the victim’s home jurisdiction.  The best opportunity for law enforcement to begin the investigation is to determine point the at which the victim’s personal and/ or financial information was compromised.  The identity theft may be connected to another crime, such as a car break-in or purse theft.


Identity Theft Follow-up Procedures

If you suspect that you’ve had your identity stolen, especially if you are experiencing financial losses, it is important that you call your local law enforcement immediately.  Depending on the type of fraud, there may be time limits that affect the victim’s financial liability.  Morton County residents outside the city of Mandan should call the Sheriff’s Office at 701-667-3330.  Mandan residents should call the Mandan Police Department at 701-667-3250.

Victims of identity theft MUST do their own follow-up to minimize and correct the financial damage.  Notify your financial institutions, including (but not limited to) your banks, creditors, utilities, insurance companies, etc. 

For your information, the Social Security Administration’s Inspector General fraud hotline is:
1-800-269-0271.

Victims should call all three credit bureaus and request fraud alerts to be placed on their identities.  A 90-day alert will be put in place, unless you request the “extended” alert of 7 years.  The extended alert may offer more peace-of-mind, but must be specifically requested.  The three credit bureaus may be reached at the following numbers:

Equifax:  1-800-525-6285
Experian:  1-888-397-3742
TransUnion:  1-800-680-7289

The next step that victims MUST take is to complete an Identity Theft Affidavit.  This is an 8-page federal government form that must be completed by the victim.  The national home agency for Identity Theft is the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC.  The FTC has a dedicated website to assist Identity Theft victims complete the affidavit.  Please go to the following address:
https://www.ftc.gov/

Upon completion of the affidavit, make sure to print a copy.   Take or send a copy of this affidavit to the investigating officer.  The officer’s police report, together with the Identity Theft affidavit, make up the Identity Theft Report.

Once the Identity Theft Report is complete, the victim is entitled by law to access a free copy of their credit report.  To access the free credit report, go to:
http://www.annualcreditreport.com

As a preventive measure, the public has a resource to check the status of their child's identity.  Go to: http://www.allclearid.com/child

 

ND Attorney General - identity theft


 

 Traffic Safety

Unsecured or Leaking Loads
 
When hauling material on a vehicle, the driver must ensure that the load is secure.  The leaking of materials on Morton County highways has led to vehicle damage, flat tires, and unsightly messes.  Tree branches, roofing material, broken glass, furniture, etc., have all been the cause of unnecessary repairs and clean up costs.  This is especially true on landfill routes.  The use of tarps and tie-downs are not only a courtesy to others, but may also prevent a traffic citation if a deputy observes a leaking load. 
 

 
North Dakota Seat Belt Law
  • front seat occupants must be belted
  • children under 18 must be restrained or belted properly, no exceptions
  • infants must be in a rear-facing child seat until they are 1 year old and 20 lbs.
  • never place an infant seat in front of an airbag
  • toddlers must be in a forward-facing child seat until they are 40 lbs. 
  • small children between 40 and 80 lbs must use a belt-positioning booster seat, when shoulder belts are used
  • children under 7 must be in a child seat or belt-positioning booster seat, unless they are at least 57 inches tall (4' 9") and weigh at least 80 pounds
  • children weighing more than forty pounds may use only a lap belt if the vehicle is not equipped with lap and shoulder belts or if all lap and shoulder belts are in use by other occupants
  • the back seat is the safest place for children under 13

 


 

Move-Over Law

When emergency vehicles are parked or stopped on a multilane highway outside the limits of a city, and the emergency vehicle is displaying a flashing amber, blue, white, or red light, the driver of an approaching vehicle shall use caution and "move-over" one lane from the emergency vehicle if the move may be made safely.  If a lane change is not possible, the driver must: 

  • maintain a safe speed
  • take into account the road and weather conditions
  • realize that emergency or maintenance workers are in the area

This law applies to maintenance vehicles and tow trucks.

 


 

Following distance on the roadways

Motor vehicle accidents, complaints of tailgating, and road rage are reduced when drivers observe the "two second" rule.  When operating a vehicle, drivers who maintain at least a two second following distance can increase their reaction time.  Slick roadways and bad weather require even more following distance and reaction time. 

 


 

School bus safety

All vehicle traffic must stop when approaching a school bus with red lights and stop sign activated.  Use caution when you see a school bus with yellow lights activated. 

If you observe a violation in Morton County, please call 667-3330 with a description of the incident so that a deputy can address it. 

 

 


 

"Don't Crowd the Plow"
 
During winter driving conditions, drivers are advised to keep their distance from snowplows.  Snowplows need room to perform their duties.  There is significant risk in tailgating or passing a snowplow, especially at highway speeds.  Often times a "snow fog" is kicked up by the snowplow and other large vehicles.  This can result in zero visibility or "white out" conditions in which the snowplow operator cannot see any following or passing vehicles.  The passing or following vehicle also cannot see through the snow fog.  Snowplows must operate below the posted speed limit, and may need to stop suddenly.  Drivers are urged to use extreme caution and have patience. 
 
Careless operation (driving too fast for the conditions) resulting in a reportable accident with a snowplow is an infraction requiring a mandatory court appearance.
 

 Emergency Notification Programs

                          

 

 

                                                          

 



 

 Road & Weather Information

Road conditions and weather can impact travel throughout Morton County. 

For the most current information:


 

 

Click on image for weather information!

 

 

 

 

 

Click on image for road conditions!

 

 

 

 

Click on image for travel information!

 

For emergency alerts and preparedness information, visit Emergency Management.