COLUMBIA FALLS — The Columbia Falls Police Department has applied for a grant to get a police officer specifically for DUIs due to a growing number of driving under the influence arrests.
The grant from the Montana Department of Transportation is valued at $135,262 to fund the salary and benefits of the new officer.
There were 107 DUI arrests in Columbia Falls in 2024, which Columbia Falls Police Chief Chad Stephens says is high for an area that small.
“In a city that’s a little over 5,700 people, that is really high,” Stephens said. "Most of it is transitory due to Highway 2 running right in the middle of town. So a lot of the DUIs come from people passing through our community.”
With heavy traffic and tourism rolling through Highway 2, Chief Stephens believes the addition of another officer is a necessary step toward preventing DUIs in town.
“If we have a reputation that we don't tolerate, we seek out and we enforce impaired driving laws, then hopefully that will, have an impact on those folks,” Chief Stephens said. “Having a drink or something like that, they'll think be a little bit more responsible about maybe I need a ride home.”
Columbia Falls PD will begin the process of filling the new position in October 2025 if the grant is successful.
