City looks to add another police officer for DUI patrols

Columbia Falls will look to add another full-time DUI and patrol officer to its ranks.

Police Chief Chad Stephens briefed council recently on a plan to apply for a Montana Department of Transportation State Highway Traffic Safety Section grant which would fully fund the position at a cost of about $135,262 to pay for the initial wages and benefits of the position.

The police department in 2024 arrested 107 people for DUI and responded to 233 collisions in Columbia Falls. One of those collisions was a fatality and the  driver that caused the accident was intoxicated. Officers also conducted 3,216 traffic stops and issued 1,950 traffic citations.

“We have a significant problem,” Stephens said.

Stephens said on a per capita basis, the community should have about 34 DUIs a year, but because Columbia Falls is the main thoroughfare to Glacier National Park and other destinations, it sees thousands of cars a day.

Stephens noted that most of the DUI arrests are people who don’t live in Columbia Falls.

If the grant is successful, the city would fill the position immediately with one of its officers and then look to hire another officer to backfill the position, with the caveat that it’s a grant funded position, unless the city decides to fund the position in the future.

A portion of the city’s resort tax is used to fund the police department, as well as the fire department.

In other city news:

• The number of candidates interested in the city manager position has been narrowed down to three. The city council will interview them on March 7 in a public process that’s expected to take up much of the day.

• The city council approved a waiver of protest to Paul Johnson and Stephanie Bonet to provide sewer service to a home at 15 16th St. East.

The home is in the county, but relatively close to city services.