Crime recorded in Surprise Creek Colony, and why it isn’t graded
Lewistown, 43 miles away, is the nearest town with a Safety Grade (C−). Surprise Creek Colony has no police department of its own: it’s an unincorporated community (a census-designated place) in Judith Basin County. The Judith Basin County Sheriff’s Office reports to the FBI for the parts of the county without police of their own, so there are no figures for Surprise Creek Colony alone, and no Safety Grade.
What stands out about safety in Surprise Creek Colony
Policed by the county
Surprise Creek Colony is a census-designated place, with no town government. Crimes there are reported to the FBI inside the Judith Basin County Sheriff’s Office’s totals for the county. County police ↓
Counts, not rates
The FBI doesn’t publish how many people the Judith Basin County Sheriff’s Office covers, so its totals can’t be turned into a per-resident rate or a grade for Surprise Creek Colony. County police ↓
The nearest graded towns
The closest Montana towns with their own police figures are Lewistown (C−, 43 mi), Great Falls (D, 50 mi), East Helena (C, 85 mi). Nearby towns can differ a lot from Surprise Creek Colony. Nearest ↓
Written from the FBI data on this page. Figures are crimes reported to police, not convictions.
What the Judith Basin County Sheriff’s Office reports
Reports to the FBI for the parts of Judith Basin County without police of their own, which include Surprise Creek Colony.
Property crimes
Violent crimes
2025 offenses reported by the Judith Basin County Sheriff’s Office
Counts, not rates: the FBI doesn’t publish how many people each agency covers. FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Tables 10–11.
Crimes reported to the FBI for the whole area the department covers, by year.
The nearest Montana towns with a Safety Grade
| Town | Grade | Distance | Violent | Property |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lewistown | C− | 43 mi | 6.1 | 9.7 |
| Great Falls | D | 50 mi | 5.9 | 39.2 |
| East Helena | C | 85 mi | 4.1 | 15.1 |
| Helena | D | 89 mi | 5.9 | 28.2 |
| Havre | D− | 100 mi | 7.3 | 37.2 |
| Conrad | B− | 102 mi | 2.7 | 7.0 |
Straight-line distance from the center of Surprise Creek Colony. Nearby towns can differ a lot from Surprise Creek Colony.
Each town’s own police figures, per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025.
Surprise Creek Colony and its neighbors
| Town | Grade | Violent | Property |
|---|
Crimes reported to the FBI per 1,000 residents a year, 2023–2025.
How reported crime compares across the town line. Tap a town to see its safety page.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- It’s reported crime. Only incidents reported to and recorded by police appear here. Many crimes are never reported to police.
- A county agency covers a wide area. Its totals mix many communities, so they say little about any one of them.
- Gaps are real gaps. A missing year means the department didn’t report a full year, not that nothing happened.
How the grade is calculated, for every town: How TownRatings grades safety →
Questions about safety in Surprise Creek Colony
Is Surprise Creek Colony, MT safe?
There is no Safety Grade for Surprise Creek Colony. The nearest Montana towns with a grade are Lewistown (C−, 43 mi), Great Falls (D, 50 mi), East Helena (C, 85 mi).
Who polices Surprise Creek Colony?
The Judith Basin County Sheriff’s Office. Surprise Creek Colony is an unincorporated community, and the department reports to the FBI for the parts of Judith Basin County without police of their own.
Heads-up board
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Please don’t name or describe individuals. In an emergency, call 911.
Neighbors looking out for each other in Surprise Creek Colony.
Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: offenses known to law enforcement by city, and state and national rates. Counts are crimes reported to police, not convictions. The Safety Grade is our own summary of that data, not an official rating. Road deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2019–2023. This isn’t an official statement of public safety. In an emergency, call 911.