Meet Dave
With over 20 years of progressive law enforcement experience, currently as the Brookings County Assistant Sheriff, David "Dave" Biteler stands apart as the only candidate fully prepared to step into the role of Brookings County Sheriff on day one. His career has provided hands-on leadership in every major responsibility of the Sheriff’s Office, eliminating any learning curve and ensuring continuity, stability, and effective leadership from the start.
Combined with 22 years of honorable service in the Army National Guard, retiring as a Sergeant First Class - Platoon Sgt., Dave brings proven decision-making, accountability, and a deep commitment to teamwork. His lifelong dedication to community service continues to shape his vision for a safer, stronger, and more united Brookings County.
Rooted in Community.
Dave was born right here at the Brookings Hospital, graduated from Brookings High School, and has spent most of his life living, working, and serving across Brookings County. This isn’t just where he works — it’s where he raised his family, built his career, and committed his life to public service.
Long before he was paid to wear a badge, Dave served his neighbors as a volunteer Brookings Police Reserve Officer, driven by a simple belief: if your community gives you a home, you give back in service. That early commitment became the foundation of a lifetime devoted to public safety. From local volunteer service to military leadership and a career in law enforcement, Dave has always chosen service first.
Today, Dave continues to give back through his leadership on the United Way Board, the Brookings County Mental Health Coalition, the JDAI Workgroup, the E911 Joint Powers Committee, and the Courthouse Needs Committee — while still showing up for food pantry programs, backpack initiatives, and nonprofit partnerships across the county.
Brookings County isn’t just where Dave has spent the last four decades.
It’s who he serves.
That’s what it means to be Rooted in Community.
Forged in Service.
Dave's leadership was not learned in a classroom — it was forged through decades of service, responsibility, and real-world experience.
Dave is a Combat Veteran of the Army National Guard who served 22 years and retired as a Sergeant First Class - Platoon Sergeant, leading soldiers during his deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In combat and crisis, Dave learned that true leadership means to lead by example, walk the walk, and remember that “there is no rank in the trenches.” Those principles continue to guide his leadership today.
That same mindset carried into a lifelong career in law enforcement.
Dave has served the people of Brookings County through the Brookings Police Department Reserves, the Brookings Police Department, and the Brookings County Sheriff’s Office, building more than 20 years of certified law enforcement experience. Over his career, he has worked every level of the profession — from patrol and training to jail administration and executive leadership.
Today, Dave proudly serves as the Assistant Sheriff of Brookings County, where he helps the Sheriff oversee operations, personnel, and public safety initiatives for the entire county. He has held key leadership roles including Reserve Officer, Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, Patrol Sergeant, Deputy Sheriff, Court Deputy, Jail Sergeant, Lieutenant - Jail Administrator, and now Assistant Sheriff. His experience spans both city and county law enforcement, giving him a complete understanding of how to protect communities effectively.
Dave’s leadership is not theoretical — it is proven. It is built from command in combat, supervision in law enforcement, and service to a community he has called home his entire life.
When Dave says he is ready to serve as Sheriff on day one, it is because his leadership has already been tested, trusted, and earned.
That is what it means to be Forged in Service.
Leadership that Unites.
True leadership is not about command — it is about connection.
For decades, Dave has built relationships across Brookings County through consistent partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose. His career has been shaped by collaboration with local law enforcement agencies, mental health professionals, nonprofit organizations, county leadership, emergency responders, and community advocates.
Dave understands that no single department can serve a county alone. Public safety works best when agencies communicate, coordinate, and trust one another.
That is why Unity is the foundation of his leadership.
Brookings County is served by more than 80 law enforcement professionals across multiple agencies. Each officer brings unique experience, perspective, and skill. Dave sees that not as fragmentation — but as opportunity. When united under strong, steady leadership, those 80 professionals can function as one seamless public safety team for every corner of the county.
Dave has already demonstrated this approach through years of partnership on committees and boards such as:
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United Way Board of Directors
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Brookings County Mental Health Coalition
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Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI)
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E911 Joint Powers Committee
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Courthouse Needs Committee
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Pandemic preparedness and interagency planning groups
These partnerships have produced real results — improved communication systems, upgraded courthouse security, coordinated emergency planning, and stronger support networks for individuals and families in crisis.
As Sheriff, Dave will expand these partnerships, not replace them. He will bring agencies together, strengthen communication, and ensure that every community — rural and urban — receives seamless, consistent, professional service.
Leadership that unites creates:
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Safer communities
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Stronger officer support
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Faster response
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Better solutions
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Greater public trust
Dave Biteler believes Brookings County is strongest when it stands together.
That belief is not a campaign promise — it is how he has led his entire career.
That is what Leadership that Unites truly means.
Dedication You Deserve.
Dedication is measured by consistency — by showing up year after year, when it’s easy and when it’s not.
For more than four decades, Brookings County has been Dave’s home. For more than two decades, it has also been the focus of his professional life in law enforcement. Through long nights, difficult decisions, and evolving challenges, Dave has remained committed to one purpose: protecting the people and communities of Brookings County.
His dedication is not seasonal.
It is not political.
It is lifelong.
Dave has chosen to build his entire career here — investing his experience, leadership, and future into the same community that raised him and now raises his grandchildren. He understands the unique needs of rural communities, the expectations of families, and the importance of trust between citizens and law enforcement.
Dedication means accountability. It means preparation. It means putting the mission above ego and the community above convenience.
As Assistant Sheriff, Dave continues to serve Brookings County with the same focus that has guided him from his first days in uniform — ensuring that operations are effective, staff are supported, and the public receives professional, respectful service.
Dave Biteler is not running for Sheriff to begin his service.
He is running to continue it — with the experience, stability, and commitment Brookings County deserves.
That is the Dedication You Deserve.
Family
For Dave Biteler, family is the foundation of both his life and his leadership.
Born at Brookings Hospital and raised in Brookings and Moody County, graduating from Brookings High School. Dave grew up in a home where service, faith, and responsibility were lived every day. His parents were deeply involved in community organizations, church, and public service. His father served in the South Dakota National Guard and in local and state law enforcement. His mother dedicated her life to caring for children, education, and family.
Dave often describes his upbringing with simple truths that still guide him today:
“No one is a stranger — just a person you haven’t met yet.”
“Work hard, and work even harder if a neighbor needs a hand.”
“Family is anyone that cares to see you grow.”
Those values were learned while helping on his grandparents’ farm near the Brookings–Moody County line, attending community events with his parents, and watching adults lead through service rather than words.
Dave and his wife Becky have seven children and are now proud grandparents to six grandchildren. Their family spans Brookings County, South Dakota, and military duty stations across the country, but Brookings has always remained home. Dave understands leadership not only as a law enforcement professional, but as a father and grandfather invested in the future of this county.
That family mindset has followed him into his career.
While serving as Lieutenant and Jail Administrator at the Brookings County Detention Center, Dave was known by staff as “Dad.” It was a reflection of how he led — with accountability, consistency, and genuine care for the people he was responsible for.
Dave leads the same way he was raised: with faith, respect, hard work, and the belief that people matter.
He does not separate family from service — because in Brookings County, they have always been one and the same.
Ready to Serve
Dave Biteler is ready to serve Brookings County — not because he is seeking to step into the role unprepared, but because he has spent years preparing for it.
As the Assistant Sheriff of Brookings County, Dave has worked in and overseen every part of the Sheriff’s Office — patrol, jail operations, court security, administration, and budgeting. His leadership is built on firsthand experience, not theory.
Dave understands how operational decisions, staffing, and fiscal responsibility all work together to protect public safety. He knows that strong leadership means managing resources wisely while ensuring deputies and staff have what they need to serve the community effectively.
He believes the strongest public safety system is built through unity — when law enforcement, community organizations, and citizens work together with shared trust and shared purpose. As Sheriff, Dave will continue to bring people together, strengthen partnerships, and ensure Brookings County receives seamless, professional service across every community.
Dave Biteler is ready to serve — with experience, stability, and a commitment to unity.
