Missoula Crime Report: Concern Over Strangulation Cases and Drugs

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - The Missoula County Attorney’s Office filed 14 new felony complaints this week, which is the same as last week and right around the weekly average. According to County Attorney Matt Jennings, they had five violent crimes, three endangerment crimes, one theft, and five drug crimes. 

“We had five domestic cases and every one of those was a pretty serious felony,” Jennings said. “Four out of five of those were actually strangulation cases. Strangulation is still a relatively new law in Montana. As we've done a lot more research and as the sciences advance on the dangers of strangulation and as our law enforcement officers have gotten more and more training to recognize the various serious impacts of cutting off blood or air circulation to a person's brain, usually a woman, we've been able to use that tool that the Legislature gave us to treat those cases very significantly.” 

Based on statistics, Jennings said strangulations can often lead to future homicides.  

“Many women who are killed by domestic partners have a history of strangulation,” Jennings said. “There's an element of power and control dynamics in there that are much greater than a shouting match that could result in some pushing. This is a big issue in our community and nationwide. We're doing a lot to make sure that we're dealing with that appropriately. Domestic violence is very serious and there are punitive elements to that. We also realized that in many circumstances these issues are related to drugs, alcohol, very poor coping skills, and other stressors and things happening in people's lives."

Jennings also highlighted the fact that seven of the cases this week were related to methamphetamine. 

“Meth continues to be a driving factor of about half the crime in our community and it's really tragic,” Jennings said. “Some people have the perception that law enforcement's out there just looking for people with an addiction and that's not it. Every single one of the drug cases this week arose out of another felony.” 

READ MORE: Missoula News - Crime Reports

Jennings said they really focus on the cases where drugs and addictions cause other criminal behavior.  

“When we talk about prosecuting drug crimes in Missoula, what we're usually talking about is trying to address people that have got so steeped in their addiction that they're now going out and hurting other people, they're stealing things, and they're causing a lot of other societal problems that aren't just about them themselves,” Jennings said. “That is a tool that we're really proud to use the criminal justice system to hold them accountable and to try and get it back on their feet.” 

Jennings said their ultimate goal is to help addicted people so they can take control of their lives again. Without hard drugs like meth and fentanyl, Jennings said our crime would be a fraction of what it is. 

The Missoula County Attorney’s Office provides a weekly crime report every Friday morning at 9:00 on Talk Back. You can listen to Jennings’ full report below: