BILLINGS — On Tuesday, Billings Police Chief Rich St. John presented the department's annual report from 2024, highlighting both progress and concerns about local violent crime.
For the most part, the press conference was positive, as the chief noted a general decrease in many categories of crime, describing the last year as "calmer."
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“Certainly, we didn’t get crime to a standstill, but things settled down significantly,” St. John said Tuesday afternoon at the news conference.
But the report showed some troubling trends. St. John pointed out one exception: a 15 percent increase in aggravated assaults, rising to 825 cases in 2024. That marked the highest total for the department in the past decade.
"The most discussed number is probably the increase in aggravated assaults," St. John said. "A 15 percent increase out of 2023, after enjoying three years of decreases. When I see increases or decreases, the question is always why."
St. John expressed a particular concern about the rise in aggravated assaults, noting that assaults of his own officers is up significantly, due to what he refers to as "a problem with authority."
“We are making arrests. People are obstructing, resisting, and assaulting our officers," St. John said. "And that’s not acceptable.”
Of the 825 assaults in 2024, 37 of them — or 5 percent — were on law enforcement officers. That number is up from 13 assaults on officers in 2023, nine assaults in 2022 and 22 in 2021.
"People don't listen. They don't follow lawful orders and when we try to make an arrest, they fight," St. John said.
Billings Police Officer Tara Weeks, who was named 2024 Officer of the Year, echoed those worries during a recent ride-along with MTN. After spending eight years in payroll and accounting, Weeks acknowledged the challenges associated with the job, particularly regarding public perception.
“There are misconceptions, and it’s really, really unfortunate,” she said. "We're just trying to do our job."
Amid a national shortage of law enforcement officers, the Billings Police Department is facing staffing challenges, with 19 positions open. St. John said that the rise in violence against officers won't be a deterrent during recruiting.
“Anybody who comes into the profession knows that that’s the potential — that you’re going to have altercations with people, and that it can be dangerous at times,” St. John said.
While St. John said he isn't satisfied with some aspects of the report, other parts show promising steps by Billings police in keeping crime on the decline.
"Our mission doesn't change," St. John said. "We are committed to cracking down on violent crime and dealing with the people doing it."
