by Travis Mateer

Yesterday I spoke with Bob Vosen and learned that the Montana Department of Transportation (MDOT) will be contracting with the same private security, Rogers International, that the city has contracted with to provide security at multiple homeless sites around Missoula.

According to Bob, Rogers will be conducting “sweeps” of the area twice a day to ensure campers don’t return to the area now that enforcement will allegedly be taking place.

Earlier this week I wrote about how one client is refusing to leave his spot under the north side of the bridge. I assume any enforcement of trespassing will be done by REAL cops, then, once Rogers International has been empowered to patrol, they’ll still have to rely on law enforcement to come in if new resistance emerges. Like, for example, the transient population that blows through during the summer months.

Rogers International is just the newest security firm to get government money providing services. Black Knight has also gotten government work, along with a Spokane-based security firm, Phoenix.

Here’s an article from November 2020 about local government shifting from Black Knight to Phoenix Protective for that critical courthouse lawn/homeless harasser contract:

The city and county of Missoula are both taking a second look at security protocols and will likely make a number of changes in the weeks and months ahead.

Missoula County will start by moving from Black Knight Security and Investigation to a new contract with Phoenix Protective Corp. out of Spokane in an effort to tighten access to the downtown courthouse and improve customer service.

So, when a homeless client I interviewed had to urgently vacate his bowels, doing so right near the east door of the County Courthouse, it was Phoenix that exited the building to assess and call 911.

Luckily we got to my studio before the fuzz showed up.

I’ll be on-site today to see how things are developing with “A” and the tremendous amount of debris he’s accumulated over the last 3 years, so stay tuned here for reports you won’t read anywhere else.

Thanks for reading!