BILLINGS — Since the start of the year, six separate incidents involving theft have occurred between Lake Elmo State Park and various fishing access sites near Billings. No suspects have been identified, so Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) is looking for help from the public to solve these crimes.
“So since the beginning of the year, January of 2023, we’ve had six instances where our latrine risers, so that includes the pedestal, the seat, and the lid, have been stolen from Lake Elmo and a number of fishing access sites just a little way east of Billings,” said Chrissy Webb, the communication and education manager for FWP Region 5, on Wednesday. “It obviously causes a big inconvenience to users of those sites."
Webb said some sites have been hit more than once.
“So, Lake Elmo State Park here in Billings had latrine risers stolen twice since the beginning of the year. Bundy Bridge fishing access site east of Billings (in Worden) had a latrine riser stolen twice already this year. And then Gritty Stone fishing access site and Voyagers Rest fishing access site (in Worden) both had latrine risers stolen," Webb said. "So four sites in total, six incidences."
And replacements aren't cheap.
"It costs the state a lot of money. We have spent over $2,000 just on replacement materials for these risers. And then also factoring in staff time to do those repairs. So it has cost the department quite a bit of money with these thefts,” Webb said. “Our maintenance staff has a number of other tasks to do, so this is really causing hiccups in their scheduled activities."
Webb added she isn't sure why anyone would want to steal these latrines.
“I have no idea. They really don’t have any real resale value, so it’s sort of a mystery to us. But you know it is, like I said, costing us some money and taking time away from staff members to make these repairs," Webb said. "And then of course inconveniencing the public with the closure of these restrooms."
And when these latrines are stolen, it creates a safety hazard for the public and shuts down necessary facilities.
"We have to close our bathrooms. It is a safety hazard to have them open with that component of the restroom missing," Webb said. "People just aren’t able to use the restrooms at these sites."
These thefts have angered local outdoorsmen like Andrew Carothers. He frequents Lake Elmo to fish and says he is very grateful for the efforts made by facility management to maintain the parks.
“It’s my spot usually that I come to. I don’t know, I love the pristine, the way they keep the lake. I love the conservation that they do around here,” Carothers said on Wednesday. “(FWP) is wonderful. They’re a delight to deal with."
But these thefts are upsetting to Carothers.
“It’s upsetting because I put money into conservation. And just to know that people are coming to destroy it, makes me fairly upset,” Carothers said.
And Carothers is worried if this issue continues, visitation to Montana's parks will suffer.
“We need to keep our fishing spots and our parks open and clean and healthy and keep the population coming to them. If we keep stealing toilets and stuff like that, people aren’t going to come," Carothers said. "And then we lose money for conservation. And we lose our fish and our deer. We lose our hunting.”
According to Webb, there is a potential reward of up to $1,000 being offered to individuals who call with information. If you have any information that could help lead to solving these crimes, please contact 1-800-TIPMONT or local Game Warden Connor Langel at 406-860-7805.
To read FWP's press release, click here.
"It’s a pretty odd thing to be stealing. So yeah, we’re just looking for any information that the public might have. They can call 1-800-TIPMONT, that’s our enforcement hotline,” Chrissy Webb said. "(We're) looking for the public’s help in giving us some information on who might doing this."
