HELENA, Mont. – According to the Montana Department of Justice, anti-drug task forces have seized twice as much fentanyl through September 30 of this year than they did the last four years combined.
In order to combat the dramatic rise in drugs and crime in Montana Governor Greg Gianforte has been meeting with community leaders to discuss the issue. Most recently, he sat down with local officials, law enforcement officers, and a treatment provider in Lewis and Clark County.
At the discussion Governor Gianforte said, “each community has different needs, and that’s why we’re working with local partners to respond to this crisis with the urgency it requires and protect our communities.”
Helena City Attorney Rebecca Dockter then highlighted the necessity of a multijurisdictional approach. First Judicial District Court Judge Mike McMahon agreed with the importance of a multijurisdictional approach and added, about 95 percent of cases have a nexus of drugs or alcohol, so if people can get into treatment earlier it may limit crime and other drug related issues.
Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton got to the root of the problem and echoed what many other law enforcement leaders have said, the increase of fentanyl and human trafficking that is impacting Lewis and Clark County can be traced back to the U.S. and Mexico border.
To combat crime and keep drugs out of Montana communities, the governor worked with Attorney General Austin Knudsen to fund 16 new highway patrol troopers and criminal investigators, as well as six new prosecutors at the Montana Department of Justice, in his budget.
The criminal investigation agents will focus on drug trafficking, human trafficking, narcotics, major crimes, and crimes against children. The new highway patrol troopers will strengthen the state’s drug interdiction programs.
