How bad is the crime problem in Billings? How overcrowded is the jail in Billings? If you ask me- this was the biggest news that came out of the Billings City Council meeting on Monday night.

I don't know if any of the local Billings news outlets covered this. I did see that the City of Billings sent out a press release about long lines at the airport due to staffing issues. That press release obviously got copy and pasted by a few local outlets.

So here's the other big story:  :

Billings Police officers encountered 48 people with warrants over the past week but couldn’t take them to the county jail due to limited space. City Administrator Chris Kukulski worked with the police department to get these numbers and plans to give an update every Monday. There have been 1,363 interactions like this since the start of the year. Police Chief Rich St. John answered questions on the issue from the council. Follow this link to hear the entire report: https://youtu.be/yDpx27QW7ss?t=1515

Think about that. 48 people were wanted by the police. They already had arrest warrants. Local police were ready, willing, and able to risk their lives to arrest these people- but there was nowhere to send them. There's been nearly 1,400 instances since the start of the year when this exact scenario has taken place. (And that's just the city, what about the county?)
Criminals are not facing the consequences they should face for their crimes. And even if they do make it to jail, too often liberal judges and justices like the radical liberal Ingrad Gustafson will throw them back out on the streets. (Another reason to vote for James Brown for the Montana Supreme Court)
The city also shared a great update about two Billings Police officers being recognized with the Medal of Valor. Check out that story and photos below.

25 True Crime Locations: What Do They Look Like Today?

Below, find out where 25 of the most infamous crimes in history took place — and what the locations are used for today. (If they've been left standing.)

 

More From Montana Talks