BILLINGS — Despite facing staffing challenges, Billings police leaders say they are getting a hold on violent crime in the city.
Lt. Samantha Puckett confirmed Tuesday morning that the department has been operating with 19 officers fewer than a full staff.
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"We are down a few," Puckett said. "However, we swear in four new ones in just a couple weeks here."
The Billings Police Department has 158 officers with a budget for 177, according to Puckett.
Puckett said that Billings is much better off than other large cities across the country struggling with severe shortages. Washington, D.C., is reporting its lowest officer count in 50 years, Baltimore is down 600 officers and New York has seen an 11% decrease in officers since 2019.
"Billings is fortunate because we have a city that supports us," Puckett said. "It makes a huge difference."
Puckett said that the support from the city is a big reason why she expects violent crime to be down in the department's 2024 annual report, which will be released in the next few weeks. The City Council approved the addition of eight more patrol officers, which the department is actively working to fill.
"It's a huge help when the city approves stuff like that for us," Puckett said. "From the last I heard, we're still trending down in violent crime and we did get a good handle on the gang problem, which we'll continue to monitor."
Still, Puckett said the department isn't immune to the shortages, especially as the population in Billings continues to grow.
"Sometimes, we even have to call someone in to help cover," Puckett said. "They're willing to still help cover the street or some of the extra duty stuff we have as well. They work extremely hard and they're making a difference."
Among those officers making a difference for the force is 22-year-old Owen Longabaugh. Longabaugh started earlier than most, receiving an associate's degree at the same time he graduated high school and joining the force nearly two years ago.
"I wanted to help serve and protect my community," Longabaugh said. "I think this is kind of like a jack-of-all-trades position because you've got to be good at a lot of things."
Longabaugh said that the job keeps him on his toes, and he admitted that some days are overwhelming.
"Just like any other job, there's good days and bad days," Longabaugh said. "It kind of feels like sink or swim sometimes. Like when it's a bad day, it's really bad."
Longabaugh said that the lack of officers sometimes adds to the stress of the job. He believes the problem is that younger Americans are choosing different career paths.
"Part of the problem is not a lot of people my age want to join," Longabaugh said. "The new hires that we actually get are transfers."
It's a situation Longabaugh hopes changes, knowing how fulfilling his first two years on the force have been.
"Just serving and protecting the community," Longabaugh said. "It definitely benefits me and the community."
