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Resident urges rules after shots fired at Scobby Cemetery; sheriff says enforcement limited
Summary
A Daniels County resident told commissioners that someone shot gophers at Scobby Cemetery during Memorial Day while others were nearby; the sheriff's redacted report recommended the cemetery board or commissioners set rules because county enforcement options are limited.
John liand urged the Daniels County commissioners to address safety at Scobby Cemetery after a Memorial Day incident in which a visitor fired at gophers near other people. He brought a redacted sheriff's report and said the episode underlined a gap between local practice and enforceable rules.
"The safety of the public is the overriding factor," John liand said during the public-comment period, urging the county to act. He described the report's account that a resident shot gophers while in close proximity to others and that deputies recommended the cemetery board consider a rule restricting such shooting.
Chief Deputy Rex Salen Morgan Jr's report, read to commissioners, says deputies spoke with the person suspected of shooting and advised them that complaints had been received. The report noted the cemetery is outside municipal limits and cited "MCA 45-5 d343 firing firearms" while saying the sheriff's office has "nothing" it can do in the absence of a rule from the cemetery board or commissioners.
County staff and commissioners discussed whether other cemetery boards post rules or signs and whether recording or minutes requirements apply to cemetery boards. One commissioner said some neighboring cemeteries post clear no-shooting notices; John liand said he found no signs at Scobby when he visited.
Commissioners asked staff to follow up with the cemetery board on rules, signage and the question of whether the cemetery board must make audio recordings. The sheriff's report will be copied for commissioners and the matter may return to a future agenda for formal action.
The public-comment item closed with the board noting differing community views and the practical limits of enforcement without a locally adopted rule; the meeting then moved on to other business.
