// CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM EFFICIENCY & COURT EXPANSION STUDY

Three years ago, the City of Billings released two reports commissioned to find efficiencies within the Billings Police (BPD) and Billings Fire Departments (BFD). The BPD report proposed innovative recommendations like utilizing civilian personnel to handle tasks not requiring a badged officer. That led to the creation of Community Service Officers (CSOs) who can answer community concerns, write reports, and work on crime scenes.

The BFD implemented numerous recommendations from the report including creating mobile response teams (MRTs) to more appropriately match their response to the emergency. The MRTs can dispatch a smaller vehicle to emergency medical situations that don't require fire suppression, saving wear-and-tear on the big fire engines that otherwise would have been dispatched to routine medical calls.

Ultimately, the report recommendations created significant efficiencies in how the City's public safety services are provided and delivered, giving taxpayers a bigger benefit for their dollars. The City hopes to do the same with the Billings Municipal Court (BMC) system.

Tonight, City Council will see the final draft report of a Criminal Justice System Efficiency and Court Expansion study which they commissioned in June 2023 to:

• Analyze and make recommendations regarding workflow efficiency.
• Review and understand historical changes in the City's criminal justice system, as well as the currently established justice coordinating council.
• Analyze current caseload weights and offer suggestions for the transition to two judges.
• Review and provide recommendations related to the planned new City Hall.

The Billings Municipal Court likely has room to improve when compared to a recognized standard used by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), American Bar Association (ABA), and the Conference on Chief Justices (CCJ) among others. This standard looks at how long it takes for the court to resolve cases. It suggests that 75% of cases are resolved within 60 days, 90% are resolved within 90 days, and 98% are resolved within 180 days.

As you can see in the graphic below, Billings comes close on the first measurement, and would benefit, bringing Billings closer to this national standard, by implementing the efficiency recommendations suggested in the report. 

Three dominant themes regarding the situation in Billings and the recommendations offered in the report were identified.

• Automation and information sharing
• Jail capacity
• Enhancing justice efficiency

Altogether, 15 issue areas were analyzed and numerous recommendations offered for each. You'll see the three dominant themes throughout a sampling of the recommendations listed below:

• The City should be proactive in seeking additional jail capacity in conjunction with Yellowstone County.
• The Court should consider exploring the maximum level of support that the Montana Supreme Court and manufacturer of FCE can provide including training, identifying the capabilities of FCE to further automate functions and improve efficiency, identifying potential for local modifications to the system, opportunities to support and provide input for broader technology initiatives, and plans for system upgrades.
• The Court should consider developing an ongoing plan for automation (Court Automation Plan) that leverages the full capabilities of FCE and other technologies to streamline processes and eliminate manual processes.
• The justice system should consider viewing the Initial Appearance as an opportunity to resolve the case, especially minor offenses.
• The justice system should consider viewing the Arraignment as the centerpiece of procedural efficiency through advanced preparation with the intention of a plea settlement or diversion.

Finally, the report offers recommendations for improvement to the renovation plans at the Stillwater Building, including security screening requirements, restricting public access to certain areas, and additional considerations for electronic data management. 

// WORK SESSION AGENDA - 5:30 p.m. - BILLINGS CITY HALL

In this section, we will include the meeting agenda for you to view. Clicking on the items will take you to more information. No need to read it all, but if something catches your eye, be sure to check it out.

CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Cole 

PUBLIC COMMENT ON ALL ITEMS. Comments are limited to three (3) minutes during each public comment period or as set by the Mayor.

1. Community Impact of Legalized Marijuana.

-Public Comment Click to View 

2. CGL Final Report.

-Public Comment Click to View 

3. Zoning Code Update.

-Public Comment Click to View 

4. Disposal of Lampman Park.

-Public Comment Click to View 

5. Highlight Upcoming Agenda Items of Council Interest.

-Public Comment 

COUNCIL DISCUSSION: 

PUBLIC COMMENT on “NON-AGENDA ITEMS”. Comments are limited to 3 minutes or as set by the Mayor.

ADJOURN:

// WATCH THE MEETING ON COMMUNITY 7 TELEVISION

// CITY ADMINISTRATOR WEEKLY REPORT

City Administrator Chris Kukulski began the routine of sending a weekly report every Friday to City Council and department heads with the intent to, "communicate the highlights of the past week and any critical issues coming up." The most recent CA Report includes updates on:

• 2022/2023 Tax Abatement Report
• Grant secured for Stagecoach Trail
• Billings Fire Department 2023 Annual Report
• And much more...

// GET MORE INVOLVED IN YOUR COMMUNITY

Below are some additional public meetings being held this week, along with information about when and where to attend, and what's on the agenda (if one is available).

Tuesday, April 16th

Policy Coordinating Committee

12:00 - 1:30 pm @ 3rd Floor Rm 3101, Stillwater Building, 316 N 26th St.

Agenda here.

West End Neighborhood Task Force

7:00 - 8:30 pm @ Connections Church, 56th & Grand Ave.

Wednesday, April 17th

City Council Legislative & Local Affairs Committee

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm @ 1st Floor City Hall Conf. Room, 210 N. 27th St.

Rimrock Task Force Meeting

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm @ Mayflower Church, 2940 Poly Dr.

Thursday, April 18th

Southside Neighborhood Task Force Meeting

6:30 pm - 8:00 pm @ Family Church, 501 South 29th St.

Central Terry Neighborhood Task Force Meeting

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm @ Topline Hair, 1331 Central Ave.

// THE SQUEAKY WHEEL

// BOARD & COMMISSION OPENINGS

The Mayor's Office is accepting letters of interest to fill the vacancies listed on the city website. For more information on each specific board, visit the city website. City Boards and Commissions are appointed by the Mayor, confirmed by City Council, are advisory only, and members serve without compensation.

Submit applications to: Mayor's Office, PO Box 1178, Billings, MT 59103-1178 NO LATER THAN APRIL 1st .*

BOARD OPENING (SEATS)

Human Relations Commission (2)

REQUIREMENTS

Must live in Billings

* - this has not been updated on the city website.

// IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

A $100,000 Montana Trail Stewardship Grant was awarded to Billings for the Stagecoach Trail connector. Billings TrailNet pledged another $100,000 to the project, and City Council will be asked to budget a remaining $605,000 to meet the Transportation Alternatives Grant match requirement and break ground in FY2025.

Click below to watch the Stagecoach Trail concept video, created by Billings TrailNet.

// ADDITIONAL BILLINGS CHAMBER RESOURCES

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