Missoula County Purchases Building for Sheriff's Office

The county approved spending about $2 million of its cash reserve funds to secure the building at 2415 Mullan Road.

“There have been space issues (for sheriffs) for so long, and I thought it would be decades before we got there, but it happened so soon,” Commissioner Juanita Vero said.

The new sheriff's office will be used for detective operations and administrative staff. The space will be located across from the county detention center, making it an ideal site for a purchase, according to County Administrative Officer Chris Lounsbury.

“Since the detention center was built, we have been looking for a way to consolidate the sheriff and detention staff,” Lounsbury said.

More than 100 people are employed by the detention center, while the sheriff's office employs about 60 deputies.

He said the sheriff's civil services and bailiff functions around the county courthouse will remain in place. The move will allow pretrial services and juvenile district court to move into the courthouse, Lounsbury said.

According to Lounsbury, the county attempted to purchase the site in 2019. At the time, the site was used for a probation and parole center, but it was later sold to Walla Walla University. The school put the property up for sale this spring. The building will be renovated for use by the sheriff's office and is expected to be online in early 2025.