Mayor Dewey Announces New Downtown Police Location

Stevensville Mayor Brandon Dewey is announcing that the Stevensville Police Department’s headquarters, currently located inside Town Hall, will relocate to Main Street in the same building that houses the local drivers licensing exam station and formerly housed the Montana Highway Patrol detachment office for Ravalli County.

The new location will provide greater community policing and visibility downtown and accommodate the department’s growing force. The location will feature prominent signage and police car parking – further enhancing the public safety presence downtown.

“Creating an expanded and visible location for our police department in the heart of downtown has become a priority of the administration as we work towards our strategic goal of a safer community.” Mayor Dewey says. “This location allows us to increase our responsiveness to citizen needs and provide a professional space for our officers to carry out their service to our community.”

The Town is signing a 5-year lease for the Main Street location and is utilizing equipment and furnishings from their existing space. The new location will replace a much smaller downtown police location a couple blocks away in Town Hall at W. Second and Buck Street that the department shared with other town departments and functions.

“Public safety is always important to our community and the council” says Councilmember Jaime Devlin. “People who work, visit, and live in Stevensville will notice improvements in their daily experiences with SPD.”

With nearly 1,000 square feet, the new location will initially accommodate 3 existing sworn officers, including the Chief of Police. The Town is currently hiring a 4th sworn officer that will also be stationed at the new location.

The location will afford a better walk-in customer service experience with a waiting room that is not currently available at the Town Hall location. The Police Department sometimes handles upwards of 10-15 walk-in interactions during the day for issues ranging from records requests to officer assistance needs.

“The new location is an emphasis on prevention through visibility and interaction with our community,” says Councilmember Dempsey Vick.

Stevensville’s historic downtown is home to one of the largest concentration of jobs, private investment, and the generation of tax revenues in the greater Stevensville area.

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