Laurel police report three drive-by shootings under investigation; department rolls out body cameras and eyes in-car systems

Police Chief Jarred Anglin reported to the Emergency Services Committee on Nov. 24 that the department is investigating three drive-by shootings that occurred last week and that a multi-agency response supported a manhunt on Valley Drive.

"There were three reported drive-by shootings last week," Anglin said, adding that detectives and patrol officers are actively investigating. He said the incidents occurred in different neighborhoods and that officers are canvassing residents for video footage.

Chief Anglin also reported the department has fully implemented Axon body cameras and is exploring in-car camera systems to outfit six patrol vehicles. He provided two vendor pricing options as early estimates for financing: a five-year option and a ten-year option. "With the calls we're seeing and the types of incidents we're responding to, adding in-car cameras would go a long way in reducing liability for both the officers and the City," Anglin said.

Anglin said one patrol vehicle was heavily damaged when an officer struck a deer during a recent pursuit; the officer was not injured, and the department currently has no spare units available. Officer Schaff is scheduled to graduate from the Montana Law Enforcement Academy the following day and will return to complete field training before being released to solo patrol in mid-December.

The committee received a multi-page printed breakdown of incident codes and call counts for the reporting window; the packet shows per-code totals used for planning and staffing. No procurement decision for in-car cameras was made at the Nov. 24 meeting.