Criminal Investigations

We have one Evidence Technician, Rachel David. Her phone is 406-447-8468. Rachel may be reached by email at: helenapolicedepartment@helenamt.gov. She only has property that has been recovered within the city limits. Please contact her regarding your property that she may have.

Please Note: Property will only be released on Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. by appointment only.

Evidence Release Request(DOCX, 29KB)

Found Property:

If there is something listed that may be yours, please contact our Evidence Clerk, Emily Vazhdayev at 406-447-8295. You must have some kind of proof that the property belongs to you. After 90 days of being posted these items will be disposed of.

Found Property: 

• Colmi Smart Watch with a black band (Posted 3-21-24)
• Small black bag with insulin injection pen (Posted 3-21-24)
• Black wireless headphones in a case (Posted 3-21-24)

Phones: (posted 2-22-24)

• Samsung S8 with black case (Found Feb 2020)
• Black LG phone in case (Found Feb 2018)
• Black Samsung phone black otterbox case (Found April 2018)
• Black LG phone (Found Nov 2018)
• Navy blue nokia phone (Found July 2019)
• Black ZTE phone (Found July 2019)
• Kodak camera (Found Nov 2019)
• Silver iPhone (Found Nov 2019)
• iPhone with broken screen (Found July 2020)
• Silver iPhone (Found April 2021)
• Orange iPhone in case (Found May 2021)
• iPhone in ombre case (Found May 2021)
• Alcatel flip phone with stickers on front and back (Found Sept 2021)
• Black iPhone with case and popsocket (Found Nov 2021)
• Silver LG cell phone with case (Found Nov 2021)
• Samsung Note with case (Found Nov 2021)
• Blue iPhone in case (Found Nov 2021)
• White iPhone with cracked screen (Found Nov 2021)
• Black ZTE phone(Found Nov 2021)
• Black Samsung phone in an Otterbox case (Found Nov 2021)
• iPhone 7 in clear case (Found March 2022)
• iPhone in pink case (Found May 2022)
• Black TCL phone (Found June 2022)
• Samsung cellphone and charger (Found September 2022)
• Silver iPhone (Found Nov 2022)
• iPhone S (Found Jan 2023)
• TCL phone (Found Jan 2023)
• Black Motorola phone (Found Jan 2023)
• Black Smart phone with no brand/ markings in case (Found Jan 2023)
• Purple iphone in case (Found Jan 2023)
• Black smart phone with no brand/ markings (Found Jan 2023)
• Black Samsung smart phone with cracked screen (Found Jan 2023)
• Black Samsung Galaxy with black case (Found Jan 2023)
• Back Samsung smart phone with damaged case (Found Jan 2023)
• Samsung flip phone in holster case (Found Jan 2023)
• Samsung cell phone with black case (Found Jan 2023)
• Pink Samsung phone (Found April 2023)
• Samsung S5 in a black case (Found May 2023)
• Black iPhone (Found June 2023)
• Black Samsung phone with stickers (Found June 2023)
• White LG phone and charger (Found Sept 2023)
• Black/gray LG phone (Found Oct 2023)
• Black iPhone with cracked screen (Found Nov 2023)
• Black iPhone 7 (Found Nov 2023)
• Blue Motorola phone (Found Nov 2023)
• Black Samsung phone with sticker on back (Found Nov 2023)
• Black iPhone (Found Nov 2023)
• Black iPhone with sticker on back (Found Dec 2023)

Detective Corporal Nathan Casey is assigned as a general detective with an emphasis on financial crimes. This includes elder exploitation, forgeries, issuing bad checks, and identity theft. Cpl. Casey also oversees all the missing person cases reported to the Helena Police Department.  As a general detective, Cpl. Casey investigates a wide variety of cases, including homicides, felony assaults, sex crimes, and property crime. 

Cpl. Casey can be reached at (406)447-8489 during regular business hours or by email. 

**Please do not report any crimes directly to Detective Corporal Casey. Non-emergency reports must begin with our dispatch center to take in the information. Please call our dispatch center at 406-457-8866 to make a report **

McLean Peterson is our Violence Against Children Detective. He investigates crimes related to sexual and physical assault cases to include sexual intercourse without consent, sexual abuse of children, and Assault on a Minor. Other assigned duties are assisting on Missing Person's cases and other Violent Crimes.

Detective Peterson can be reached at: 406-447-8471 during regular business hours or by email. 

**DO NOT REPORT ANY CRIMES DIRECTLY TO DETECTIVE PETERSON. IF YOU HAVE A CRIME TO REPORT CALL OUR DISPATCH CENTER'S NON-EMERGENCY LINE AT 406-457-8866, UNLESS IT'S AN EMERGENCY THEN CALL 9-1-1.** 

(VACANT) 

Jon Cook is the detective assigned to the Lewis and Clark County Attorney’s Office. The primary role of the County Attorney Liaison Detective is to assist prosecuting attorneys with investigation through the court process for Helena Police Department cases.  

Detective Cook may be reached at 406-457-8812 during regular business hours or by email.

Detectives investigate crimes related to Child Sexual Abuse Material (Child Pornography), child exploitation, and solicitation of children by electronic means. Associate members of the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force work with federal and state agencies and local agencies throughout the state.  

Detective Corporal Kent Anderson is our MATIC Detective. This program builds relationships between local law enforcement agencies and the Montana Analysis & Technical Information Center (MATIC). Tying together intelligence relating to criminal activity that can be shared and developed by MATIC analysts and then distributed to all of our Montana law enforcement community. 

Corporal Anderson can be reached at 406-444-1319 during regular business hours or by email. 

The Helena Police Department has an officer assigned to the Missouri River Drug Task Force. This officer is part of a collaborative federal, state, and local law enforcement to identify, target, and address those involved in drug trafficking, manufacture, and/or violence. 

If you have information regarding the distribution, trafficking and/or manufacturing of illicit drugs, please contact MRDTF at (406)447-8046 or click here for an online form. 

For emergencies or immediate law enforcement need, call 911.

Detective Steven Cornish is the Violence Against Women Detective. VAWA investigations typically include domestic violence, stalking, sexual assault, and sexual intercourse without consent. This detective will also investigate cases related to sex crimes in general.    

Detective Cornish can be reached at 406-447-8828 during business hours or by email. 

EEO-Certification.pdf(PDF, 108KB)

The Helena Police Department is a member of the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, which is comprised of other local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.

HIDTA works cooperatively with these other agencies in the investigation and enforcement of illegal narcotic drug laws.

Crime Stoppers is a civilian, nonprofit, charitable organization that brings together in a relationship, the police, the media, and the community in the fight against crime. People with information about crimes can report to Crime Stoppers anonymously and depending on the information, may receive a cash rewards. 

View the Crime Stoppers web page for more information or call (406)443-2000 to report a crime anonymously.