Columbia Falls could 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 Columbia Falls City 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 cover the initial wages and benefits associated with the position.

The Police Department in 2024 arrested 107 people for driving under the influence 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 see about 34 driving under the influence arrests a year, but because Columbia Falls is the main thoroughfare to Glacier National Park and other destinations, it sees thousands of cars pass through a day.

Stephens noted that most of the driving under the influence arrests involve 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.