GREAT FALLS — Five law enforcement agencies spent five days this month physically checking on every registered sex offender in Cascade County — and new data from the Montana Department of Justice shows the statewide registered sex offender population has grown by more than 400 people in just five years.
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The Annual Compliance Operation
From August 3rd through 7th, officers from the Great Falls Police Department, Cascade County Sheriff's Office, U.S. Marshals Service — District of Montana, Montana Department of Corrections Adult Probation and Parole, and the Montana Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigations worked in small teams to contact every registered sex offender living in Cascade County in person.
The operation is funded annually by the U.S. Marshals Service and is performed as a supplement to the year-round sexual and violent offender monitoring programs carried out by GFPD and CCSO.
"So, every year we do a compliance operation, and we track every single sex offender that's registered in Cascade County. That includes all of Great Falls and all of Cascade County. And we make sure they're in compliance with the directives of the sex offender registry," said Scott Fisher, SVU Detective with the Great Falls Police Department.
The registry requires offenders to keep their residence, place of employment, and phone number current at all times. Failure to do so constitutes a violation — and non-compliance is a felony charge carrying a $10,000 warrant for failure to register.
The Results
Of the 232 registered offenders checked in Cascade County:
· 199 were in compliance
· 6 had moved out of Cascade County
· 18 were incarcerated
· 1 was deceased
· 8 had active arrest warrants or were found to be non-compliant
GFPD and CCSO are working closely with the Cascade County Attorney's Office to determine next steps for the eight non-compliant offenders. Investigators will determine whether non-compliance was intentional or an oversight before initiating charges.
Local Numbers Stable — But Statewide Growth Continues
Fisher, who has been conducting the operation for seven years, says Cascade County's numbers have remained remarkably consistent over that time.
"I've been doing this for about seven years now, and they stay roughly around the same numbers, give or take 20 or 30 here and there. So, we haven't seen a drastic increase or a drastic decrease. It's you'll be within that 8 to 10 percent range. Either some come off the registry, and then other new convictions come on the registry," he said.
Cascade County's registered offender population has hovered in the 220 to 230 range for years — as some offenders complete their registry requirements or move out of the county while new convictions add others.
The statewide picture, however, tells a different story. According to Montana Department of Justice data, Montana's registered sex offender population grew from 5,292 in 2022 to 5,718 in 2026 — an increase of 426 offenders, or 8.1 percent over five years.
Cascade County Attorney Josh Racki says the local numbers reflect a steady but manageable flow — and credits dedicated local detectives.
"I haven't seen it climb dramatically, at least locally. I know we do a good job. We have dedicated detectives, both the CCSO and the GFPD, who monitor that," Racki said.
Racki says cases typically come to his office when offenders fail to register — roughly one to two cases per week. His office then investigates to determine whether non-compliance was intentional before pursuing charges.
A Warning About Vigilantes
Racki also spoke about vigilantism, or anyone tempted to take sex offender monitoring into their own hands. Vigilante involvement in sex offender cases — particularly before someone is on the registry — can seriously jeopardize prosecution.
One reason is a Montana law many residents may not know about.
"Montana is a two-party consent state, and a lot of people don't know that. And so, if I just walk up to you and start recording something while I'm talking to you without getting your consent. That recording's now illegal," Racki said.
Unlike states such as Texas or California — where one-party consent recording is legal — Montana requires all parties to consent to being recorded. Evidence gathered by vigilante groups that violates this law cannot be used in prosecution and can compromise an entire case.
Racki says every case involving outside evidence must be carefully investigated to ensure it complies with legal standards — including the state's duty to disclose exculpatory evidence — before charges can be filed.
The Registry as a Public Tool
Racki describes the Montana sex offender registry as a valuable public safety tool — and encourages residents to use it.
"I think it's a great tool. You know, especially for sex offenders. It's a great way to keep track of folks," he said.
The Montana sex offender registry is publicly available and searchable on the Montana Department of Justice website at doj.mt.gov.
