GREAT FALLS — The Montana Missing Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Task Force has been in operation since the 2019 legislative session.
The task force was designed to address and reduce the number of missing Indigenous persons.
Last year, a total of 2,200 missing persons from Montana were reported and entered in the FBI database, which is a slight decrease from 2,263 in 2023.
An estimated 31% of people reported missing in Montana were Indigenous, even though they only make up about 6-7% of the population.
It is believed that the largest issue is the organization of search and rescue operations. The DOJ suggests reporting a missing person early because that can help get the information out quicker.
“Truthfully, there is no minimum or there's no waiting period in the state of Montana to report a loved one missing. In fact, it's the opposite. So if a law enforcement agency receives a report of a missing person by state statute, they're required to take a missing person report. And then depending on their age, they have requirements on entering them into the missing person database within the FBI's NCIC," said Brian Frost with the Montana DOJ.
If a missing person is 21 or older, they must be entered into the database within eight hours of being reported. Anyone under 21 must be added to the database within two hours.
Additionally, the MMIP Task Force has no jurisdiction on tribal lands unless they are asked to assist by the tribes or the FBI.
In related news, Montana Free Press reported this week that Justin Kambic, the coordinator of the agency, has left the position and is now left for a job within the Montana Justice Department’s Division of Criminal Investigation.
