Dear Editor,
The Heights Task Force received an update concerning city of Billings crime statistics on 2/28/23. Chief St. John spoke of a problematic bottleneck within the prosecution pipeline due to a lack of judges and bed space for prisoners both at the county and state levels. Chief St. John is a man of impeccable integrity and his words bear weight.
Citizen questions revealed our City Council lacks the ability to help stop crime. The City Manager suggested attending County Commissioner meetings to get results the city needs. Here, we must remind ourselves that we are residents of Billings, Yellowstone County, and Montana. We aren’t residents of one or the other, but of all three. As self-governing citizens, it is our responsibility to keep this in focus, always.
As self-governing citizens, we know the city, the county, and the state all must have money to augment infrastructure needed to solve the prosecution bottleneck. We recognize a City Manager bringing an entertainment park proposal to the City Council doesn’t prioritize crime. We recognize our City Council does have a say and by voting for an entertainment park, they are saying crime isn’t a priority. We all recognize financial resources are limited and prioritizing an entertainment park ahead of solving a bottlenecked crime pipeline is poor judgment.
We voting citizens do have a say. Do we vote funding for an entertainment park, or instead do the right thing and stop crime? As self-governing citizens this is an easy decision…Stop Crime.
TJ Smith
Billings
