Missoula County Attorney Issues Annual Crime Report for 2022
The Missoula County Attorney’s Office has issued the final 2022 crime report.
KGVO News reached out to Missoula County Attorney Kirsten Pabst who provided details from the report, which has been issued for the past eight years.
The Total Number of Crimes Reported in 2022 was 7,868, that's 1,229 more than 2021
“We just released our annual report...” began Pabst. “I think this is our eighth one in a row. In 2022, we charged quite a few more felonies than we have in the past. We charged 787 felonies, which is up 64 from last year. Our misdemeanors were up significantly, but our juvenile delinquent filings were down by 10, and our homicide cases went down significantly over 2021.”
There were 787 Felonies in 2022, up 64 from 2021
Pabst said the purpose of the report is to gauge where the resources of the Missoula County Attorney’s Office should be directed.
“The number of crimes ebb and flow and the types of crimes ebb and flow, so it's just really important for us to track what types of cases need our greater attention at this time,” she said. “For example when we break down the violent offenses, we see that family-related violence is a significant resource strain and something that we put a lot of attention on because it makes up more than half of our violent crimes.”
Once again, Pabst said dangerous and often deadly drugs such as methamphetamine and fentanyl are the driving forces behind much of Missoula’s crime.
“For the past several years we've been struggling, as you know, with the influx of methamphetamine coming from south of the border,” he said. “But now the influx of fentanyl into our community has been catastrophic. That fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and so we are seeing a lot more overdose hospitalizations and overdose deaths as a result of the saturation of this poison into our community.”
Pabst said Combating Domestic Violence is a Top Priority
Pabst has always had a special interest in combating domestic violence and has instituted special task forces and personnel to address the issue.
“If I could say I had one lifetime challenge, you know, over decades in this career, I would say it would be trying to reduce the amount of domestic violence or also trying really hard to engage in education efforts so that people can see that cycle of violence before they step into it,” she said. “We're also really working hard on a public awareness campaign to call something in, such as ‘if you see it, say it’. If you hear your neighbor being assaulted and don't know what to do call, then call 911. You should always err on the side of calling.”
The total number of criminal cases in 2022 was 7,868 while in 2021 the total was 6,639; that’s 1,229 more than last year.
The complete report can be found here.