Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) – Newly chosen Missoula County Sheriff Jeremiah Petersen provided his very first interview on Wednesday afternoon in the Sophie Moiese Meeting Room in the Missoula County Courthouse.
Sheriff Petersen Gives his First Press Conference
Petersen, a 21-year veteran of the Sheriff’s Office, likewise invested 17 years with Missoula County Search and Rescue.
One of the very first concerns for the brand-new constable handled the increasing criminal offense that he stated has actually accompanied Missoula County’s blossoming population.
Dealing with Drug Crime will be a Priority for the New Sheriff
“With development, sadly, there are definitely positives and negatives,” statedSheriff Petersen “I believe among the negatives that we are seeing with the development in the last number of years is the increase in criminal offense and sadly, that criminal offense has actually ended up being major criminal offense. And I believe that all ties back with the drug concern. Our prison is near capability, and sadly, it’s ended up being basically a felony prison. We’re real estate just those individuals that are devoting violent criminal offenses, which is definitely an issue. The more individuals that come here, the more those criminal offense rates are going to increase.”
Petersen stated among the most significant difficulties to Missoula police is the ever present and growing drug issue.
” I believe that those drug problems sadly develop the individuals criminal offenses, and they develop the home thefts,” he stated. “And so I believe it’s important for the constable’s workplace to continue to deal with our federal partners like the HIDTA the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area where there’s the joint drug job force to attempt and recognize those DTO’s or drug trafficking companies and to dismantle them and begin with the ground up since I believe that if we can do that, we’re going to minimize those individuals criminal offenses and those home criminal offenses.”
Petersen is Working with the State to Reduce the Number of Inmates at the Jail
Asked about the popular idea that the Missoula County Detention Center has actually ended up being rather of a ‘revolving door’ for repeat transgressors, Petersen stated the prison likewise presently homes prisoners waiting for an area at the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge.
“At the detention center we house a great deal of Montana State detainees that have actually been sentenced and are waiting for going to Deer Lodge,” he stated. “And so, dealing with all of those individuals to come up with concepts on how to get those people out so that the prison is just for those individuals that are devoting major criminal offenses is essential. The prison diversion program that the constable executed has actually definitely assisted. We presently have a reentry planner that works for the constable’s workplace that once again, is attempting to get those lower level transgressors out of the system so that it isn’t part of that revolving door.”
Wrapping up, Petersen stated he and his personnel are thrilled about satisfying the difficulty of patrolling a huge location like Missoula County.
“I’m thrilled about the future,” he stated. “I believe we have an excellent group of individuals. And I’m thrilled for them since we have actually had a great deal of modifications, losing our Sheriff, our Undersheriff, and our patrol captain therefore they’re getting the chance to step up and I believe that they’re going to do that. This is an excellent location to live and to work for the people ofMissoula County They are worthy of the utmost and security and service and I believe that the constable’s workplace here will and can offer that.”
Petersen stated he has actually set up a ‘participatory management design’ that delegates his department heads to do their tasks without extreme guidance, trusting them to do the job.
25 True Crime Locations: What Do They Look Like Today?
Below, learn where 25 of the most notorious criminal offenses in history occurred– and what the places are utilized for today. (If they have actually been left standing.)
