Gov. Gianforte Gathers Leaders to Discuss Public Safety in Kalispell

• September 15 2022

KALISPELL, Mont. – Gathering input from local officials, law enforcement, and treatment providers in the Flathead Valley, Governor Greg Gianforte today convened a roundtable to discuss strategies to build safer, stronger communities in Montana.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck moment,” Gov. Gianforte said, noting the dramatic rise in drug interdictions in the state. “Hope is not a strategy. Working with our partners at the local level, Montana is taking action to hold drug dealers accountable and connect individuals struggling with addiction to treatment.”

Gov. Gianforte listening to Kalispell Mayor Mark Johnson

Statewide and across the country, law enforcement is seizing record amounts of fentanyl, a deadly drug 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. In the first six months of 2022, law enforcement in Montana seized nearly twice the amount of fentanyl seized in the previous three years combined.

Officials and law enforcement in Kalispell highlighted the connection between drug use and an increase in crime, particularly violent crime.

“We’ve always struggled with some issue related to drug use, but the violence has increased exponentially,” Kalispell Chief of Police Doug Overman said.

Asked how much crime is connected is connected to drug use in Kalispell, Overman responded, “A significant majority.”

Absent federal action, Gov. Gianforte this spring joined the American Governors’ Border Strike Force, a collaborative effort among 26 states to secure the border. Among other focuses, the strike force is working to improve coordination and communication to combat the trafficking of illegal drugs.

The governor has also made addressing the substance use crisis through treatment and prevention a top priority. In his first week in office, the governor introduced the HEART Fund which invests $25 million per year to provide for a full continuum of behavioral health and treatment programs for communities.

The governor also launched the Angel Initiative, a collaborative effort with participating local law enforcement agencies and treatment providers allowing an individual struggling with addiction and substance use to go into any participating law enforcement office and receive assistance to get connected with treatment.

A treatment provider, Kat Kingery with Alpenglow Clinic, underscored the impact the pandemic had on the mental health and drug crises, saying, “We saw a rise in mental health conditions – depression, anxiety – and it plays directly into drug use.”

Discussing prevention strategies, Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino added, “We’ve got to start with our youth. We can’t solve every drug addiction problem in our community, but we can start by educating our kids.”

Since the beginning of the year, Gov. Gianforte has held roundtable discussions on public safety in Big Timber, Billings, Butte, Great Falls, and Missoula.

Roundtable participants included Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino, Flathead County Attorney Travis Ahner, Kalispell Mayor Mark Johnson, Kalispell City Attorney Johnna Preble, Kalispell Chief of Police Doug Overman, Ki-Ai McBride with the Department of Public Health and Human Services, Jim Anderson with the Department of Corrections, Lori Madden with Flathead Youth Home, and Chad and Kat Kingery with Alpenglow Clinic.