HELENA — For more than two decades, funding through the Violence Against Women Act has helped the Helena Police Department pay for a detective dedicated to investigating cases involving violence against women.
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Helena city commissioners unanimously accepted the department's 2026 grant on Oct. 5, providing $58,471 in federal funding to help continue the position, according to city commission documents.
Detective Justin Gibson has served in the role for just under two years, following up on cases including domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking.
"It just happens too much," Gibson said. "Last year I probably worked on at least 75 different cases."
Gibson said there isn't a particular time of year when those cases spike.
"There's not any rhyme or reason," Gibson said. "It can happen to anybody at any age, at any level of involvement."
The numbers also show an increase in crimes against people involving intimate partners across Lewis and Clark County. According to data from the Montana Board of Crime Control, the county recorded 316 such offenses in 2025, up from 276 in 2024.
For Gibson, investigating an individual case can take anywhere from days to months. His work can include tracking down witnesses, locating video evidence, conducting follow-up interviews with victims and gathering medical records.
"It keeps me really busy," Gibson said. "If I was not here, all that work would have to be dispersed among other detectives."
The Helena Police Department has four other detectives handling other types of cases. Gibson said keeping up with his own caseload can be difficult, and he works a significant amount of overtime.
There have also been times when a supervisor has approached him about taking another case, only for it to be assigned to another detective after Gibson explains his current workload.
That workload matters because Gibson said delays can make investigations more difficult.
"Witnesses are then harder to find, evidence is harder to find later the longer it takes," Gibson said. "Would make prosecution harder down the road."
The work doesn't necessarily end with the initial alleged offense. Gibson also follows investigations involving issues such as no-contact order violations, witness tampering and violations of orders of protection.
Technology can add another layer to those investigations. Gibson said social media sometimes becomes a factor, particularly in cases involving younger people, as information can be recorded or shared digitally.
Gibson also works closely with the Lewis and Clark County Attorney's Office, with part of the effort focused on holding chronic offenders accountable.
He said having a detective dedicated to the cases also means victims can receive more focused attention throughout an investigation.
"The victims in the cases wouldn't get as high quality service or the attention it would need," Gibson said of what could happen without the dedicated position.
For people experiencing violence, Gibson emphasized that law enforcement is only part of a broader network of support available in the Helena community. The Friendship Center is among the local resources providing services to survivors, including assistance navigating protection orders and the legal process.
"The community effort to help survivors is there," Gibson said. "They just need to reach out and let us know."
