Report: Number of crimes reported in Bozeman up in 2016 - The Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Last year, the Bozeman Police Department saw a steady increase in calls and arrests and worked to boost programs to keep up with the demand.

That’s according to a recently released annual report, which highlights crime trends in Bozeman in 2016.

“The increase we saw in ’16 corresponds with the growth of Bozeman,” said Bozeman Police Chief Steve Crawford. “We are working to make sure we are positioned to address those public safety needs and increased public safety demands as we move forward.”

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Overall calls to the Bozeman Police Department last year numbered 50,359, a 7.7 percent increase from 2015, according to the report. Total arrests were also up to 2,377, a nearly 12 percent spike from the previous year.

And within those calls and arrests, Crawford said there were increases in most specific categories of crimes: a 6.8 percent jump in thefts, a 10 percent increase in assaults, a 2 percent rise in domestic abuse.

But some crimes saw a much more significant increase in 2016.

DUI arrests increased by just shy of 37 percent to a total of 439 last year.

Crawford attributed that spike to having more officers on the street looking for impaired drivers.

Reports of sex crimes, including sexual intercourse without consent, were up 46 percent with 51 total reported to police in 2016. Crawford said there were a number of factors that played into that increase.

First, the Montana Department of Justice has a program for victims of sexual assault who want to have an examination done but not necessarily report the crime to police.

In late 2015 and into 2016, Crawford said the county’s sexual assault response team began tracking those cases, which got added to the department’s data. However, Crawford said in discussions with the state, they will not track those specific cases in the future.

“We want (victims) to feel safe in their environment. If they don’t want to reach out to us, we want to respect that,” Crawford said.

Crawford also added that he believes law enforcement, along with victim advocates, prosecutors and more, have created an environment where victims of sex crimes feel safer coming forward to report abuse.

Another crime category that saw a large increase last year was burglaries. The 132 reported burglaries was a 55 percent increase from the previous year.

However, Crawford said that spike was largely due to two different groups of offenders whom Bozeman detectives later arrested and charged for the crimes. And since their arrests, burglary reports have returned to their average level, Crawford noted.

“It’s one of those categories if you have one or two prolific groups, it can move the needle on it,” Crawford said.

And the 418 drug arrests last year was a 53 percent increase from the previous year, largely due to proactive work of the department’s two-officer traffic unit and patrol officers, Crawford said.

The annual report also highlights new positions the department has created to keep up with the increased crimes.

In 2016, a civilian crash investigator was added. That position handles about 35 percent of all crashes reported to police, freeing up sworn officers to respond to emergencies and continuing to patrol.

“That program has been very successful,” Crawford said.

And approved in 2016 but not hired until this year is a new digital forensic analyst, who will analyze data taken from phones, computers and tablets. That position is shared with the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri River Drug Task Force.

“It’s definitely an asset and something that’s needed for almost all offenses we investigate,” Crawford said.

Crawford also noted community outreach efforts, which include the annual Citizen’s Police Academy, the quarterly Coffee with a Cop and events such as National Night Out and Shop with a Cop that continue to keep officers involved with the community.

Last year, the department also opened a substation at the Bozeman Public Library, a move Crawford said has been a great partnership, increasing officers’ visibility and accessibility to the public.

Looking forward to this year, Crawford said the department is continuing work with Gallatin County on a new radio system to help with communication issues.

The city and county are also working together on a new records management system.

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