FBI Director Kash Patel Makes an Important Stop in Montana

We've spoken regularly about the amazing work of Montana law enforcement, and they do a great job. And while I would love to say Montana should get all of the credit, we have to acknowledge that they get a little bit of help.

In some cases, it's from the community while in others, it's from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The FBI Director Makes a Stop in Montana

According to a Facebook post from the FBI, FBI Director Kash Patel made a stop in Billings this week.

"Honored to host FBI Director Kash Patel in Billings this week," the FBI's Billings division posted on Facebook, "He met with federal, state, local, and tribal partners, and toured the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument near Crow Agency."

"The Director’s visit coincides with the personnel surge in support of Operation Not Forgotten, the latest deployment under Operation Steadfast Promise. The initiative highlights the #FBI’s ongoing commitment to addressing violent crime and improving public safety in Indian Country."

For those unfamiliar, Operation Not Forgotten is an initiative to provide investigation resources and intelligence to Indian country offices to help solve "unresolved violent crime cases, with a priority placed on cases involving violence against women and children" according to the FBI.

The feds said the initiative began as an extension of the Operation Steadfast Promise umbrella.

READ MORE: FBI Warns of Violent Extremists Targeting Montana Kids

"Director Patel engaged with a group of Special Agents in Charge whose jurisdictions include tribal lands," FBI Billings said in their post, "Recognizing the distinct challenges faced Indian Country, the Director reaffirmed the #FBI’s commitment to crushing violent crime within Native communities."

"The Bureau’s efforts are fueled by initiatives like Operation Steadfast Promise and strategic partnerships with tribal law enforcement."

What Does the Data Say About Violent Crime in Montana?

According to information from the Montana Board of Crime Control, violent crime in in Montana was on the rise with a visible rise in violent crime taking place between 2019 and 2021.

From 2023 to 2024, rape crimes rose by 7.4% while murder went down a whopping 22.09%, aggravated assault went down 4.8%, and robbery went down 28.1%.

It looks like the data is continuing to trend downward and no one can be upset about that, right?