CHOUTEAU COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

PURPOSE AND MISSION

The basic purpose of the Chouteau County Sheriff's Office may be classified under six objectives:

-Protection of Life and Property.

-Prevention of Crime.

-Suppression of Criminal Activities.

-Preservation of the Peace.

-Apprehension of Criminals.

-Regulation of Conduct (non-criminal).

Because of the objectives covering a wide scope, Deputies are seen on occasions and in all places in the County. The conduct and nature of the Deputy, in the performance of his duties, impress the citizens with the worth of the Office as a whole and form the basis of the support and effectiveness of the Office.  

MISSION STATEMENT

CHOUTEAU COUNTY 9-1-1 COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

The heart of the Chouteau County Sheriff's Office is located in the Communications Center. The 9-1-1 Center pledges to put citizens first by exhibiting professionalism, ethics, honesty and dedication in the completion of their duties.  Dispatching is about serving the public.

The dispatcher is the umbilical cord between life and death. Without the dispatcher's professional demeanor, calls that the deputies respond to could result in serious injury or death. The Public Safety Communicator maintains that link in life for the public as well as the law enforcement officer.   

MISSION STATEMENT

CHOUTEAU COUNTY DETENTION FACILITY

The Detention facility will be operated in conformance with the State and National Detention Facility Standards and the rulings of State and Federal Courts as deemed applicable.

The commitment of the Chouteau County Sheriff is to provide a safe, sanitary and secure place of detention for all persons committed to his jurisdiction for detention or corrections as listed under Sections 7-32-2121(7) and 7-32-2201 Montana Code Annotated.

The Sheriff must protect the community by securely holding persons who are determined by the courts to pose a threat to public safety. Further, the Sheriff must protect the inmates of the detention facility and the personnel who work there.

It is the goal of the Chouteau County Detention Facility to return inmates to the community in no worse condition than when they were committed to our custody. We will strive to return inmates in better condition, physically and emotionally, and to encourage convicted offenders not to repeat their criminal activity.  

OFFICE INFORMATION

The law enforcement facility was built in 1986. This modern, up to date facility houses the Sheriff's Office, Detention facility Chouteau County Justice Court and the 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP). From this center, eight certified Public Safety Dispatcher professionals take calls for assistance including  informational, and administrative calls; 9-1-1 calls are also answered twenty-four hours a day/seven days per week.

The technology advanced system centers around Positron's Viper, the next step in modern communications.   Public Safety  Dispatchers are responsible for the alerting and support of the county's nine volunteer fire departments, three volunteer ambulance services, quick response units, search and rescue, Disaster and Emergency Services, and local government; as well as interfacing with other public safety agencies from the State and federal government.

The Chouteau County Sheriff's Office has been continuously in operation from the earliest days of settlement of the County and was once responsible for a huge portion of Northeastern Montana. The area encompasses plains, two mountain ranges, three rivers, and several lesser creeks and streams as well as the majority of the Upper Missouri National Monument, just under 4000 square miles in all. Old records of trials, sentences, and executions were maintained in ledgers and have since been turned over to the Montana Agricultural Museum in Fort Benton. Artifacts from those early years can be found in that museum, as is a portion of the old jail cells brought to Fort Benton via steamboat around 1880.