It has been one heck of a start of the new year here in Montana, but I can not help but wonder, what in the world is going on in these surrounding towns?

In 1985 the state of Montana had 48 murders. You can see the number of crimes committed from 1960-2019 right here. It is interesting to see what crimes have been committed throughout the years.

Just in 2020 there were 54 murders. So the numbers for 2022 are already scary to me.

Photo by Matt Popovich on Unsplash
Photo by Matt Popovich on Unsplash
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Now mind you, the news typically only talks about the bad, so I know that there are also good things happening in our surrounding communities. But we are barely into February and there have already been 13 murders.

According to KRTV in January alone there were 10 murders.

  • Murder-suicide in Lake County (2 dead)
  • Man charged with killing 2 brothers in Three Forks (2)
  • 2 found dead with gunshot wounds in Billings (2)
  • Homicide investigation after a man was killed in Kalispell (1)
  • Teen dies after being shot in Billings (1)
  • 2 men accused of killing a man near Rimini (1)
  • Man shot dead in Great Falls (1)

 

I can not help but wonder why is this happening?

Many people say that the extensive flow of new residents is where the majority of the blame should be pointed. But as I read these articles, most of the crimes are being committed by people who are Montana residents. For how long they have been residents, well, that I am not sure of.

Is it a lack of police force? Not as many people applying to become a law enforcement officer? Is it drug related? With constant new strains of drugs clouding our streets, are people becoming more violent? It is not anything new to know that, with more drugs, comes more crime.

Just in the past few weeks, two teenage boys have lost their lives, and their families have lost a son, grandson, cousin, etc. One was a 16 year old Billings boy, found shot in a hotel. The other was a 15 year old Billings boy. As a parent of a teenage boy, it absolutely breaks my heart to read about another child killed.

What is the solution to help stop the violence? We know we can never end it...but we can prevent it. Right?

cc: KTVQ, KRTV

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