After just four months, Public Safety owes almost seven times the amount budgeted to keep people arrested on university jurisdiction in the Missoula County Sheriff's Detention Facility. Under Montana law, a police force must pay for the jail bills of all the people it arrests in its jurisdiction. Since June, Public Safety has put 11 people in the detention facility.
Juveniles are more expensive to hold because they require extra attention.
Scott Cole, vice president of administration and finance, said the money for the extensive jail bill will come from UM's settlements and special charges fund. This will not impact Public Safety's budget. Cole said there are enough funds in the settlements and special charges budget to cover the jail costs. According to the jail, the high adult tab was mostly for Randall Mark, who is accused of throwing salmon at Helen Chenoweth-Hage, an Idaho Republican Congresswoman. Mark was in jail for 14 days.