County Attorney Pabst Weekly Crime Report – Compliments Law Enforcement Cooperation

Since Talk Back is on vacation until after the first of the year, Missoula County Attorney Kirsten Pabst was kind enough to deliver her weekly report to this reporter on the phone on Thursday morning.

"We had a moderately busy week, but, as you know, the week before this was nearly a record," Pabst began. "We had 24 new cases that we processed this week. Sadly, three of those were partner or family member assaults, one was an assault with a weapon with a gun, there were five new felony drug cases, a sexual intercourse without consent case, four subsequent DUI cases, meaning they were felonies, three assaults, and four thefts."

Pabst also mentioned the successful conclusion of a high profile rape trial.

"Our Jennifer Clark and Jordan Kilby had been preparing for months for the trial of Jordan Bahr, charged with sexual intercourse without consent," she said. "On the fourth day in, Mr. Bahr and his attorney decided it was in his best interest to plead guilty to a lesser charge of felony sexual assault that involved bodily injuries that carries a similar penalty to sexual intercourse without consent."

Following Tuesday's Talk Back program that featured all of Missoula's law enforcement heads, including Sheriff T.J. McDermott, Police Chief Mike Brady, UM Police Chief Marty Ludemann and Sergeant Shawn Finlday with the Montana Highway Patrol, County Attorney Pabst spoke of the atmosphere of cooperation that exists between all the agencies in Missoula.

"We are truly blessed to live in a community where people can put aside their personal differences and agencies can work together in a way that you don't see in some of the big cities," she said. "We've made a commitment to work on the relationships between our agencies, with sit-down meetings and constant communication and that relationship building is the foundation upon how we can work together in an emergency situation."

Papst specifically referenced the carjacking incident last spring, when two individuals kidnapped a Washington state family at gunpoint, and took law enforcement on a high-speed chase through Missoula, with shots fired at pursuing officers.

"When push comes to shove and when it really matters like that night and others like it, where somebody in our community is in jeopardy, it's pretty remarkable to watch how our partner in the criminal justice system come together and do what we need to do make sure the community's needs are taken care of."

Pabst said it mutual respect between the agencies, and not necessarily written policies that fostered the cooperation in that particular incident.