The decision comes as Helena and other communities nationwide grapple with questions about the appropriate role of local police in federal immigration enforcement operations.
Chief Brett Petty of the Helena Police Department told commissioners Wednesday he is temporarily withdrawing from a regional drug task force following the addition of federal Border Patrol agents to the operation. Petty said he wanted to ensure the Helena department’s focus remained on local drug crimes rather than immigration enforcement.
“I decided to, for Helena PD, to temporarily withdraw from MRDTF because I wanna make sure and keep our focus here for Helena PD (on) the policing and the drug activity,” Petty said during the city commission meeting.
The Border Patrol Question
The Missouri River Drug Task Force, headquartered in Helena, operates across seven counties — Lewis and Clark, Gallatin, Park, Meagher, Madison, Broadwater, and Sweet Grass — and coordinates with federal authorities on drug trafficking. The task force had been discussing Border Patrol involvement for over a year. Last November, members decided to move forward with a formal agreement to deploy federal agents.
According to Petty, the task force intends to station two Border Patrol agents in Helena and two in Bozeman.
Petty said he holds “some concerns” about the Border Patrol presence and wants to ensure Helena PD does not shift toward immigration enforcement. “This is not to say that we will never be a part of MRDTF ever again, but I think the best way to do this right now is not enter into that agreement and bring a brief pause to it and see how this actually plays out here locally in Helena,” he said.
What the Withdrawal Preserves
When Commissioner Sean Logan asked whether the withdrawal would affect the department’s ability to address drug crime in Helena, Petty responded it would not. The drug investigator currently assigned to the task force is already a member of the police department’s criminal investigation division and will remain under Helena’s direct authority. He said potential coordination with the task force could continue, but the investigator would stay under Helena’s purview.
The Cost of Withdrawal
The withdrawal carries a financial cost. Helena received $30,000 annually for its participation in the drug task force. The department has already received half of that amount but will forfeit the remaining $15,000 in the second half of the fiscal year.
A City Divided
East Helena’s police department took a different path. The East Helena City Council voted Tuesday to accept the changes to the drug task force agreement that include Border Patrol activities. “I am proud to have voted to keep East Helena actively involved in the MRDTF, to help combat drug and human trafficking, along with assisting with drug crime investigation operations in our community,” council member Wesley Feist told Montana Free Press on Friday.
About 30 people, many of them immigration advocates, attended the city commission meeting. Some thanked Petty for the withdrawal. “I do want to thank you, Chief Petty,” said Ashley Fischer, an advocacy group member. “I do appreciate that you have clearly heard from Helena citizens and taking action that you did on your withdrawal from commitment to the MRDTF. We do not have control over what is happening with the federal government, but we can do everything we can here to keep our community safe locally.”