Chief Addresses Missoula’s Crime Trends in 2023 Annual Report

Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - On April 30, 2024, the Missoula Police Department released its 2023 Annual Report. According to Chief Mike Colyer, the MPD handled 56,234 calls for service in 2023, up from 52,125 (2022) and 52,666 (2021).  

“Although the total incidents have increased, a positive trend from these numbers is the decline in reported and validated violent crimes,” Colyer said. “The Montana Board of Crime Control defines violent crime as, Sexual Intercourse without Consent, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, and Homicide. These offenses have declined from 557 (2021) to 532 (2022) to 470 (2023).” 

Colyer said one of the biggest challenges to their service has been central to the issue of unhoused and unsheltered.  

“The MPD is committed to being a problem-solving partner as we search for solutions to this circumstance,” Colyer said. “We have committed to proactive crime prevention efforts by conducting over 1,000 directed patrols at and around the Johnson Street shelter. When crime is reported in and around the shelters, we promptly investigate and refer those cases for prosecution.” 

Arguably, Colyer said the most pressing public safety issue facing our community is the fentanyl crisis.  

“The MPD is engaged to combat the devastation from this powerful opiate in two ways: life-saving efforts in the field, and assertive enforcement,” Colyer said. “MPD officers have saved countless lives by being trained and equipped with Narcan an opiate reversal agent, used to save overdosed subjects. Our enforcement efforts occur at both street level (use and distributions) and high-level investigation (drug trafficking organizations).” 

Colyer added that MPD’s participation in the Rocky Mountain High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (RMHIDTA) Task Force and the Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force is key to these investigations.  

“Street-level enforcement and large-scale investigations work together to prevent and deter fentanyl use and to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations,” Colyer said. “Despite a lot of work to go, the success is obvious when you reflect on the explosion of fentanyl dosage unit seizures by the RMHIDTA Task Force. RMHIDTA seized 805 DU (2021) to 12,749 DU (2022) and 31,634 DU (2023). All this effort contributes to less access to this potentially fatal substance and accountability to those spreading it within our community.” 

READ MORE: Missoula News - Crime Reports

According to Colyer, MPD is excited about what they have accomplished and is eager for opportunities ahead of them.  

“This year we set goals to evaluate existing operations and implement new programs within our budget that do not increase general fund spending,” Colyer said. “Some of these projects are in development, while others are fully implemented.  

For more information about these projects and details about the above-mentioned statistics, read the full report below:

MPD 2023 Annual Report