Chief Discusses Patrol, Dog Pound

Wolf Point Chief of Police Anthony Cambridge explains the decision not to have an officer patrol during the late night/early morning hours is because of a shortage of staff.

“Given the call volume which is extremely low, it doesn’t make sense to do it, at least during this time,” Cambridge said.

He explains that the Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice has two officers patrolling in Wolf Point after midnight. The Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office is also active during those hours.

Cambridge noted the police department has one uncertified officer and one open position. The uncertified officer is scheduled to attend the police academy in January.

“So, then, we will be back down to three,” Cambridge said.

That officer is currently somewhat limited because he is still in field training besides needing to attend the police academy.

If the police department becomes fully staffed in the future, the decision regarding coverage during those late night hours might change. Cambridge said whenever a new officer is hired, he talks with Mayor Chris Dschaak regarding the best way to serve the community.

On another matter, Cambridge says some comments regarding the city’s dog pound have been misunderstood by different residents. He said his main goal is to explore options for additional funding for the city’s pound.

He noted that right now, taxpayers are paying for 100 percent of the costs for animal control.

“I would like to explore grants,” Cambridge said.

The police chief also feels there can be confusion between Pound Puppies and the dog pound. So, he wants the city’s pound to be referred to as Wolf Point Animal Control and Adoption.

The goal is to pursue grants in order to improve the city’s facility.

“The pound is in a sad state,” Cambridge said. “We’ve never said we didn’t want to work with Pound Puppies, but we want to pursue our own grants. With our budget, we can’t make any improvements.”