While many of us got a couple days off last week, others were hard at work, breaking the law.
The Flathead County Detention Center opened its arms to 13 new tenants from Dec. 24 to Dec. 25, as of 5:57 p.m. The first six spent the night for drunken driving, while three more assaulted a family member. Two of the DUI offenders were under 20 years old.
An arrest for obstructing a peace officer, another for stalking and resisting arrest, then a probation violation, and finally, a DUI rounded out Christmas day. All four arrests were made on men between ages 22 and 27.
From Dec. 19 to 22 the detention center saw 23 new inmates, 10 of which were DUI related and six more were partner family member assault incidents.
The three days following Christmas, there were 24 new bookings. Ten drove drunk and another five assaulted someone close to them.
Theft-related offenses are up in Kalispell. There were 119 burglaries as of Nov. 1, up from 85 incidents a year ago, and 72 in 2006.
Kalispell Police Chief Roger Nasset said in a Dec. 25 Beacon article: “When the economy is worse, our business is more, and the numbers really substantiate that trend.”
Flathead County Undersheriff Pete Wingert, however, said theft-related offenses come in waves. He said, when burglars and petty criminals are apprehended, the numbers tend to decrease before they inevitably pick up again.
Just a holiday reminder, don’t drink and drive this New Year’s.