After the retirement of long-time Missoula Police Public Information Officer Travis Welsh, patrol officer Lydia Arnold took over in 2021 and made her first appearance on Friday’s Talk Back to discuss her role as the PIO.

Arnold, already a seven-year veteran of the Missoula Police Department, acknowledged that she alone is responsible for disseminating accurate information from the police department to the media and the public.

“The reality is that when there is an active incident going on, I have just me and a little bit of support staff helping, but it's really just me,” said Arnold. “And so by saying I'm going to provide a narrative and I'm going to provide updates then look here, and that way I can ensure that the media is getting the latest of what is going on and what the situation is.”

Arnold described the already close relationship she has with us and especially News Director Nick Chrestenson who himself comes from a law enforcement family.

“I think it's about knowing the landscape of your community and knowing that we have a great relationship with KGVO,” she said. “I think we work well together, and so I know you guys want audio so I'm going to set aside the time to make audio. I have seen a lot of news and media sources just take bits from my social media posts, and that's what they're for. And I can also know that I posted that and so that information is accurate.”

We look forward to continuing a great working relationship with Arnold for the foreseeable future. You can listen to Arnold's full interview here.

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