Council hears crime stats, Highway 2 group

Havre City Council met Tuesday night to approve ordinances, listen to presentations from the Highway 2 Association and the Havre Police Department, and hear comments from community members.

Acting Police Chief Gabe Matosich presented the 2013 crime statistics to the council and also gave a report on some of the various projects the police department works on, such as National Night Out, which the department plans to host again in August.

Matosich said the police department's community service programs are going well, including the 24/7 Sobriety Program, which has an average of average 20 people enrolled.

Bob Kaul, the vice president of the Havre Highway 2 Association, spoke to council about appointing someone from their ranks to represent Havre in the association's meetings. Mayor Tim Solomon is ineligible, Kaul said, as he is already a member of the association by default due to his position.

"The Highway 2 Association has been the voice for keeping Highway 2 at the forefront of the (Montana Department of Transportation's) mind," Kaul said.

Kaul said the next Highway 2 Association meeting in Havre will be at 4 p.m. Tuesday, March 4, at Uncle Joe's.

The Highway 2 Association is an organization that promotes tourism and business along the highway and has been pushing to turn it into a four-lane highway across Montana.

During the public comment section of the agenda, Kaul stood at the podium again to give his thanks to the city's Public Works Department.

"You guys have done a tremendous job of taking care of the streets," Kaul said.

Kaul also wanted to commend Matosich for the police force in Havre doing a good job. Kaul said he called the police one night after receiving what he suspected was a scam phone call from someone claiming to be the IRS. An officer came over and back-tracked the phone number to find its source and it was decided the call was indeed a scam. Kaul later found the IRS does not make phone calls in lieu of physical visits to people's houses or correspondence through the mail.

Kaul said he was very thankful that Havre has skilled and informed officers.

Matosich responded by warning the council and audience about other scam phone calls. The one-ring call-back scam consists of people receiving a call that rings once and is then canceled. If they call the number back, they are charged money for making the call. Another scam going around is people receiving calls about relatives being placed in jail and the callers attempting to sell them a fake bail bond.

Perry Atchison spoke in the public comments section to thank the city's public works and the police presence at the high school.

"You guys have done an admirable job," Atchison said.