P.C. Sheriff's Office received 1,790 calls in 2014

The Phillips County Sheriff’s Office responded to 1,790 calls for service in 2014, according to statistics recently released by the office, ranging from assault and theft to trespass to property and privacy in communication violations. On Tuesday night at the Malta City Council meeting, Phillips County Sheriff Scott Moran went into some detail about the year for the office.

“We had 1,790 calls last year,” Sheriff Moran said. “Those include fire and ambulance and law enforcement. Everything from barking dogs and fires to people lying in the middle of the street.”

Moran explained that there were 354 new cases investigated in 2014, which is down from last year and incarcerated 110 people, adding that the current pace the sheriff’s office is at in 2015 they are headed for less people arrested, but more time served.

Sheriff Moran also informed the City Council that the sheriff’s office is going to change the way they deal with calls from the Amtrak in 2015.

“The way we are going to deal with it now, if these people are not a physical threat to any of the other passengers, we are not going to do anything,” he said.

Sheriff Moran said that the sheriff’s office recently heard of two or three people causing trouble in Minot, North Dakota, who were on a train headed through Montana. He said that the trouble occurred in Minot, the Amtrak staff decided not to remove the people until the train arrived in Malta.

“I don’t know if they sent out a memo telling them to drop them off in Malta,” Sheriff Moran joked. “Some of the trouble comes because of the Bakken. Workers are traveling back to the west. We have asked them to stop serving them (alcohol) but they said ‘no, that’s how we make money’.”

Sheriff Moran also stated that of the 15 calls from the Wagner area, most were dealing with thefts on BLM land.

In 2015, The Phillips County Sheriff’s Office will be moving into Phase III of the 911 system. Sheriff Moran said the cost of the fiber optics for the program, though hefty, would hopefully be shared with Blaine and Hill County. He said for that cost to be shared across the counties, the Montana Legislator is going to need to change a law written 17 years ago that could potentially axe the project’s funding.

“Hopefully that will be completed by the end of the year,” Sheriff Moran said. “What that will include is text to 911 for the hearing impaired. Texting is a big thing in a lot of areas where you can’t make a call but you are able to text.”

Also included in Phase III of the 911 system will be improved GPS accuracy.

Sheriff Moran also told the City Council that the sheriff’s office should have a new deputy hired by the end of the month and asked if there was still funding available to send the new hire to the Police Academy. The City Council said the funding for the academy should not be a problem.

2014 Phillips County

Sheriff’s Office Stats

1,790 Calls for service

354 New cases investigated

Cases by area

173 Malta

18 Saco

33 Dodson

11 Zortman

15 Wagner Area

4 Whitewater

11 Nelson Reservoir Area

4 Landusky

85 Other

Incarcerations and

Citations

110 Individuals Incarcerated

539 Citations Issued

408 Traffic Citations Issued

45 Juvenile Citations Issued

Types

23 Assaults

11 Partner / Family Member Assaults

9 Burglary

65 Theft

40 Criminal Mischief

5 Sexual Assault

15 Illegal Drug

16 DUI

19 Disorderly Conduct

9 Trespass to Property

9 Privacy in Communication

5 Obstructing Justice / Peace Officer

5 Violation of Protective Order

5 Stalking

115 Various Other Incidents