TAKE OTS LEFT
AS 2019 BEGINS, LEWIS AND CLARK
COUNTY'S SHERIFF'S AND
CORONER'S OFFICES HAVE BEEN
OFFICIALLY COMBINED.
M-T-N'S JONATHON AMBARIAN LOOKS
AT WHAT WILL CHANGE, AND WHAT
WON'T, AFTER THE CONSOLIDATION.
TAKE PKG: X2:07 OC..SOC.




BRYAN BACKEBERG SAYS HIS
RESPONSIBILITIES AS LEWIS AND
CLARK COUNTY CORONER WENT BEYOND
SIMPLY INVESTIGATING
DEATHS.
FROM MANAGING DOCUMENTS TO
SUPERVISING TRAINING.
"THERE'S A LOT OF BEHIND THE
SCENES THAT PEOPLE DON'T
SEE."
NOW, BACKEBERG WILL NO LONGER BE
RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE
ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES.
ON JANUARY FIRST, HE ENDED MORE
THAN TWO YEARS AS CORONER.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DECIDED TO
COMBINE HIS
OFFICE WITH THE LEWIS AND CLARK
COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
SHERIFF LEO DUTTON WAS ELECTED
IN NOVEMBER AS THE
FIRST CONSOLIDATED
SHERIFF-CORONER.
CG: LEO DUTTON, LEWIS CLARK
COUNTY SHERIFF-CORONER
"MY JOB IS TO BE THE CORONER,
FIELD THE QUESTIONS, MAKE
SURE THAT THE WORK GETS DONE,
MAKE SURE THAT THE EMPLOYEES
HAVE THE TOOLS THEY NEED, THE
EDUCATION THEY NEED."
THE CORONER'S OFFICE IS NOW THE
CORONER'S DIVISION.
BACKEBERG WILL REMAIN, AS A LEAD
DEPUTY CORONER. HIS TWO CURRENT
EMPLOYEES WILL ALSO STAY.
FOUR SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES HAVE
GONE THROUGH TRAINING TO SERVE
AS ADDITIONAL DEPUTY CORONERS.
WHEN THEY'RE OFF-DUTY, THEY WILL
BE ON CALL TO RESPOND TO
CORONER'S CALLS.
DUTTON SAYS, AT THOSE TIMES,
THEY WON'T BE RESPONDING AS
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. "THE
JOB IS DIFFERENT, THE LAWS ARE
DIFFERENT, AND
YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHO
YOU'RE REPRESENTING
WHEN YOU'RE ON THE JOB."
BACKEBERG SAID HIS OFFICE HAD A
HEAVY WORKLOAD FOR ONLY TWO
TRAINED CORONERS TO HANDLE. HE
HOPES THE ADDITIONAL STAFFING
WILL RELIEVE SOME OF
THAT.
CG: BRYAN BACKEBERG, LEWIS CLARK
COUNTY LEAD DEPUTY
CORONER
"SOME DAYS, THERE WERE 48 HOURS
OF STRAIGHT NO
SLEEP, TAKING CARE OF A SCENE,
THE DECEASED, GETTING THEM TO
AN AUTOPSY, GETTING THEM BACK,
GETTING THEM TO A
FUNERAL HOME, GETTING THE NEEDED
INFORMATION THAT WE NEED.
THAT'S BEEN MY BIGGEST PUSH
MOVING FORWARD WITH THE
CONSOLIDATION, IS TAKING CARE OF
OURSELVES, BEFORE WE CAN TAKE
CARE OF ANOTHER FAMILY."
CG: JONATHON AMBARIAN
"AFTER THE CONSOLIDATION, THE
CORONER'S DIVISION WILL REMAIN
AT ITS OFFICE ON RODNEY STREET,
AT LEAST FOR NOW. THIS WEEK, THE
COUNTY COMMISSION WILL CONSIDER
A
PROPOSAL TO END THE LEASE ON
THAT OFFICE BY MAY, AND MOVE
THE CORONER INTO THE NEW LAW AND
JUSTICE CENTER ON FULLER
AVENUE."
BOTH DUTTON AND BACKEBERG SAY
THEY WANT TO ENSURE THERE'S
NO CHANGE IN THE CORONER'S
COMMITMENT TO COMPASSION AND
SERVING FAMILIES IN NEED.
"WE HOPE THAT YOU DO NOT NOTICE
ANY BREAK IN SERVICE."
IN HELENA, JONATHON AMBARIAN,
M-T-N NEWS.
###




ON CAMERA TAG
THERE WILL BE ONE MAJOR CHANGE
IN THE NEWLY
CONSOLIDATED OFFICE.
IF A PERSON DIES WHILE IN LAW
ENFORCEMENT CUSTODY OR IN AN
OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING, THE
CORONER MUST HOLD AN INQUEST.
BUT STATE LAW PROHIBITS A
CORONER WHO IS ALSO A LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICER FROM
CONDUCTING INQUESTS IN
THOSE CASES.
THAT MEANS LEWIS AND CLARK
COUNTY WILL
