Bozeman police hold event to discuss community concerns

By Taylor Graham, KTVM
Original article HERE

Bozeman police officers met with members of the community Wednesday to discuss a range of topics of interest at an ongoing event called Coffee with a Cop.

From 2015 to 2016 Gallatin County’s crime rate increased by nearly 9 percent, and most of that spike is within Bozeman’s city limits, according to the Montana Board of Crime Control.

The county’s jump is the highest in western Montana.

Data from the Montana Board of Crime Control shows the crime rate in Missoula County increased by about 8 percent, while Butte-Silver Bow County’s crime rate rose by almost 7 percent, and crime in Flathead County decreased by about 6 percent over the year.

Bozeman’s crime rate increased by more than 15 percent from 2015 to 2016, according to the Montana Board of Crime Control.

Captain Andy Knight, from the Bozeman Police Department, told NBC Montana he blames the increase on the area’s population growth.

“Calls for service tend to increase, as a police department, as our population grows,” Knight said. “There’s no doubt about that.”

Data from the Montana Board of Crime Control shows most of the increase comes from property crimes. Knight told us property crimes are on the rise in the city this summer.

“We have people who like to come through, and one of the messages we like to deliver to people is to be vigilant about locking their cars,” Knight said.

Knight said Coffee with a Cop takes place about every three months. He said the department enjoys hearing from a variety of people with different interests.