MISSOULA — With sunny spring weather, it can be tempting to get out and explore.
However, Mount Jumbo's north zone remains under winter closure.
Each year, from Dec. 1 through March 15, most of the mountain is closed as hundreds of elk move closer to the city on the south face.
The north zone remains closed until May 1 or later to allow elk to return to the Rattlesnake area.
With a lack of snow in the Missoula Valley, the city of Missoula posted to share they're seeing increased trespassing.
In the past, officers have responded to 911 calls and met trespassers on the trails.
"As a police department, we have obligation to investigate all crimes that are reported to us. We don't cherry-pick what we're going to investigate. So, everything we do take seriously," said Whitney Bennett, public information officer for the Missoula Police Department.
WATCH THE FULL STORY HERE:
This year, the Missoula Police Department has taken a different approach by posting photos online and asking the public for help identifying individuals.
"We always get a 911 call. However, in these, what has been reported to us is video evidence of, 'Hey, these people have trespassed. Here's the dates, times'. And then from there, it's an investigation. We're reaching out to the public because that's a good resource," Bennett said.
Bennett said sharing these photos is different from the now-defunct Missoula Mugs page.
"In this case, the reason why it is okay for us to post these pictures is we're looking to identify, speak to these people because a crime has occurred. If we know the identity of somebody, then, technically that can fall under criminal justice information. And then once these people are identified and charged, it is removal because technically that's criminal justice information," Bennett said.
Individuals caught trespassing on Mount Jumbo could be fined up to $500 for violating Missoula Municipal Code 12.40.
