Not Sure If It’s a Crime? CALL IT IN!
Advice from Chief Srock
The Red Lodge transient population grows with the summer season and many times residents will call asking for law enforcement intervention for people who are merely unhoused. It is not a crime to live unhoused. Red Lodge Police Chief Greg Srock stated, “This is a situation where if a crime has not been committed, or they they don't seem in distress, there's really no reason for law enforcement action. We're aware that they're here. And if they need help, they can certainly flag us down or make a phone call and that will initiate an officer response. But if they're just hanging out there, you know, they're not causing any problems, then they are just like anybody else. And they don't need to be contacted by the police.”
On the other hand, if anyone in the City (or elsewhere in Carbon County) sees suspicious behavior, they absolutely should call 911 to alert Carbon County Sheriff’s Dispatch who will send the appropriate responder. If unsure if it is a law enforcement or first responder issue, Srock suggests calling the non-emergency Dispatch number 406-446-1234. Dispatch can prioritize the “Call For Service” for response by the appropriate agency or may be able to let you know there is an innocuous explanation for the cause of your concern.
“We've had officers not learn about crimes that are being committed at two o'clock, three o'clock in the morning until the next day, when a prompt officer response could have potentially had it handled within 20 or 30 minutes. However, people sometimes hear or see something and aren’t sure if it's a big deal. Then we'll hear about it after the fact when it truly was a big deal and the crime is much harder to solve.” One situation that came to his mind when asked recently were some people who were startled by someone with a flashlight shining a light into their living room at night. They didn’t report it until the next day because they weren’t sure it was an emergency. A law enforcement visit could have eased their mind and/or thwarted a crime in progress.
Chief Srock reiterated, “In an emergency situation, please dial 911 right away so we can can handle the call properly. If unsure if you should call 911, call the non-emergency dispatch number at 406-446-1234.