Watertown Police Launching Project Blue Bridge to Improve Community Communication
The Watertown Police Department in South Dakota is launching a new program called 'Project Blue Bridge' aimed at improving communication with community members who have conditions such as autism, dementia, and mental health issues.

Sioux Falls, SD, October 17, 2026 —
The Watertown Police Department in South Dakota is launching Project Blue Bridge, a program aimed at improving communication with community members who have conditions such as autism, dementia and mental health issues.
The program’s stated focus is communication. The available information does not describe how Project Blue Bridge will work, what services or resources it will provide, or how community members will take part. It also does not identify a launch date or explain whether the program is already operating.
The department’s announcement, as summarized, names autism, dementia and mental health issues as examples of conditions affecting people the program is intended to reach. It does not provide further details about the program’s scope or say whether other groups are included.
Additional information about implementation was not provided, including whether the department will work with community organizations or health professionals, whether officers or other personnel will receive training, and how the department will assess the program’s effectiveness. The name of any staff member overseeing the initiative was also not included.
For now, the details available establish the initiative’s name, location and broad purpose: improving communication between the department and community members with certain conditions. Further information would be needed to clarify how the program will operate and what support it will offer.
Story summarized from the original created by Jordan DeSmet on www.keloland.com, see more information here.
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