Billings Police Department Explained

Agencyname:City of Billings Police Department
Abbreviation:BPD
Patchcaption:Shoulder patches
Headquarters:Billings, Montana, United States
Stationtype:Zones
Stations:9
Lockuptype:Yellowstone County Detention Facility
Vehicles1:Ford Crown Victoria, Ford Taurus, Ford Utility Interceptor and Pursuit Interceptor, Ford F150
Animal1type:K-9 Unit
Animals1:Belgian Malinois and Dutch Shepherd
Website:https://www.billingsmt.gov/2882/Police

The Billings Police Department is a police department in Billings, Montana, the main law enforcement service in Billings, Montana. It is the largest city police force in Montana with 162 sworn officers/80 civilian employees covering 41sqmi and a population of about 115,000. The city is divided into nine beats and patrolled by 75 officers.[1] Organizationally the department is broken up into the Operations (Patrol) Division and the Investigations Division.

Rank structure and insignia

TitleDescriptionInsignia
Chief of PoliceThe Chief of Police is the overall person in charge of leading the department.
Assistant ChiefAppointed by the Chief of Police.
CaptainAppointment by the Chief of Police. Division Head commander
LieutenantPromotion based on a written examination and panel interview/departmental assessment.
SergeantPromotion based on a written examination and panel interview/departmental assessment.
DetectivePermanently assigned position based on a written examination and panel interview/departmental assessment.
Police OfficerPatrol Officers employed by the City of Billings

History

Before the Billings Police Department was established, most of the law enforcing was done by the sheriffs office or by vigilantes. The Billings Police Department was established in 1902 with about 10 Police officers on duty. Most of their jobs were shutting down red light districts and patrolling the streets. As the city grew, so did their responsibilities.

Controversies & Misconduct

In 2001, the Billings Police Department settled a Racial profiling case for $50,000 with the ACLU.[2]

Some 28 current and former Billing Police officers filed a lawsuit in January 2009 claiming that the city miscalculated their pay, possibly dating as far back as 1994.[3]

In October 2012, members of a city/county SWAT deployed a flash grenade in a home they were raiding. The device went off and burned a twelve-year-old girl. Although the team was looking for a drug-manufacturing lab, they found nothing and made no arrests. The child was treated at a local hospital.[4]

In April 2014, Billings Police officer, Grant Morrison, shot and killed 38 year old Richard Ramirez during a traffic stop in an alley between Fifth Ave. S. and State Ave.[5] A coroner's inquest found Morrison was justified in the shooting,[6] however the Ramirez family later filed a wrongful death lawsuit which the City of Billings settled with them for $550,000 in lieu of going to trial in a civil case.[7]

In April 2018, three Billings police officers were disciplined for having sex on city property.[8]

Officer-Involved Shootings

In May 2022, Billings Police officers were involved in shooting and killing 36-year-old resident Curtis Yellowtail,[9] after Yellowtail reportedly assaulted a woman, and then led law enforcement a high-speed chase which ended near 14th St. West and Industrial Ave.[10]

On May 31, 2022, a total of 13 officers shot and killed 19-year-old Michael Morado after Morado reportedly fired at officers first.[11]

In August 2022, Billings Police officer, Ryland Nelson, reportedly shot a 22-year-old male one time in the abdomen.[12] The police department did not release the identity of the suspect, Darrien Snow, until over 13 months later, in September 2023. [13] [14]

Chiefs

Line of Duty Deaths

See also

External links

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Notes and References

  1. https://www.billingsmt.gov/DocumentCenter/View/46673/2021-Annual-Report
  2. https://www.aclu.org/racialjustice/racialprofiling/15852prs20011218.html ACLU of Montana Hails $50,000 Settlement in First Racial Profiling Case Brought Under State Human Rights Law | American Civil Liberties Union
  3. Web site: Archived copy . 2009-09-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110714113609/http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=10977430 . 2011-07-14 . dead .
  4. Grenade burns sleeping girl as SWAT team raids home, Billings Gazette, 12 October 2012
  5. News: Benoit . Zach . January 6, 2015 . Opening day of Ramirez inquest patrol car video, witness statements . The Billings Gazette .
  6. News: Brown . Matthew . Associated Press . January 9, 2015 . Police killing of unarmed Montana man found justified . The Western News .
  7. News: Associated Press . March 19, 2019 . Billings pays $550k to family of man killed by police . NBC Montana .
  8. Web site: 3 Billings cops disciplined for having sex on city property | Last Best News . 2018-04-24 . 2018-04-22 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180422102627/http://lastbestnews.com/site/2018/04/3-billings-cops-disciplined-for-having-sex-on-city-property/ . dead .
  9. News: Conlon . Casey . May 24, 2022 . Billings man killed by police officers identified . Q2 News .
  10. News: Marino . Michael . May 27, 2022 . One Dead after High-Speed Chase, Standoff in Billings . Yellowstone County News . Billings, Montana . April 25, 2022.
  11. News: Q2 News . June 2, 2022 . Authorities release names of Billings officers, man killed in Burnstead Drive shooting . KTVQ .
  12. News: Conlon . Casey . August 16, 2022 . Billings officer fired single shot at man after domestic violence call . Q2 News .
  13. News: Marino . Michael . December 16, 2022 . Man Shot by Officer in August Still Unidentified . 20 . Yellowstone County News.
  14. News: Marino . Michael . September 22, 2023 . Identity of Man Shot by Police Last Year Released - 13 Months After Incident . 1, 9 . Yellowstone County News.