2 Montana trooper

Montana Trooper

Change of AddressIf you are moving, please let us know four weeks in advance of change of address. Attach magazine labeland print your new address below, and mail to: Scott Ayers, 1013 Babcock Blvd., Billings, MT 59105,montanatrooper@q.com

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Association of Montana TroopersP.O. BOX 394, DRUMMOND, MT 59832

MESSAGE TO OUR ADVERTISERS: As this publication is financed solely by the monies receivedfrom advertisements, we express our appreciation to those businesses that purchase advertisementsin Montana Trooper. We strive to make this a high quality publication that will provide the bestpossible advertising exposure for our advertisers. We encourage our members and all our readersto patronize those businesses that make this publication possible.

YOUR COMMENTS, PLEASE: The editor of the Montana Trooper welcomes your comments, crit-icisms, or suggestions for the magazine. Your ideas for topics and/or types of articles which youwould like to see in future issues of the magazine will be appreciated and given every considera-tion. Please send your communications to: Scott Ayers, 1013 Babcock Blvd., Billings, MT 59105,montanatrooper@q.com

ABOUT THE PUBLISHER: The Montana Trooper is published for the Association of MontanaTroopers by Trooper Publications West, Inc. Advertising sales: 565 North 9th St., Suite #203, P.O.Box 181, Columbus, MT 59019-0181. Telephone (406) 322-4273. The publisher does not assumeresponsibility for the contents of this magazine or for statements of fact or opinion made by anycontributor.

ATTACH LABEL HERE

OFFICERSPresidentArt CollinsDrummond

Vice PresidentLath KeithCorvallis

SecretaryBryan AdamsBozeman

TreasurerKeith EdgellBillings

Past PresidentBrad SangrayCut Bank

DIRECTORS

District 1: Rocky Bailey, Corvallis; Lath Keith, Corvallis

District 2: Kelly Mantooth, Lewistown

District 3: Alex Betz, Helena

District 4: Scott Ayers, Billings; Mark Tome, Billings

District 5: Mitchell Willett, Glasgow; Ed Hilbert, Glendive

District 6: Roy Christensen, Columbia Falls

District 7: Cal Janes, Townsend

District 8: Robert Bender, Conrad

Headquarters Representative: Tom Butler

Retirees Reps: Bryan Adams, Bozeman; Sam Harris, Conrad; Bob Clark, Ryegate; Bert Obert, Helena

ASSOCIATION OF MONTANA TROOPERS

What is the AMT?The AMT is an independent association

which is not affiliated with any other asso-ciation or union. It is funded by and run bytroopers.

The Association’s Articles of Incorpo-ration were completed in February of 1941.Membership in the corporation may be heldby an active or retired trooper of the Mon-tana Highway Patrol.

The Association of Montana Troopers isnot a charitable organization, nor is it orga-nized or operated for charitable purposes.

What connection does the AMT have with theMontana Department of Justice Highway PatrolDivision?

The AMT is an independent associationrepresenting active and retired troopers. Itsviews, opinions, policies and publications inno way reflect the viewpoint of the Depart-ment of Justice or the Montana HighwayPatrol.

What publication does the AMT produce? Montana Trooper magazine is the only

official publication and fund raiser for the Asso-ciation. Anyone not affiliated with this maga-zine should not be considered representing theAssociation.

Montana Trooper magazine assists asso -ciation members in the following areas:• To create an awareness of a trooper’s job

and of efforts to maintain the high idealsand professional standards of our troopermembers.

• To provide a fraternal organization for Mon-tana troopers.

• To interact with other highway patrol andstate police agencies and associations on anational level.

• To gain recognition and support from Mon-tana legislators.

Why does the AMT use telemarketing? For a variety of reasons, but primarily

because it is the most cost effective way of reach-ing merchants and businesses in our very largestate. Trooper Publications has an outstandingrecord in the business and conducts its tele-marketing operations on behalf of the AMT ina friendly, professional manner.

We thank you for advertising in Mon-tana Trooper. By advertising in our magazine,your commercial message will reach judges,elected state, county and city officials, legis-lators, county attorneys, sheriffs, police offi-cers, business owners and operators, and alltroopers, active and retired, as well as theirfamilies throughout Montana.

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Features9 Montana Highway Patrol Celebrates 75 Years of Service,

1935–2010 (part 1 of 2)

17 Montana Highway Patrol 49th Advanced Traffic Law Enforcement Academy

20 2009 International Association of Women Police ConferenceBy Trooper Paula Williams

23 2009 Junior Police Leadership AcademyBy Trooper Derek Brown

24 National Troopers Coalition Conference

Association of Montana TroopersP.O. Box 394

Drummond, MT 59832

4 Editor5 President6 Attorney General7 Colonel25 In Uniform

29 On the Road34 Final Patrol

37 Directory44 Advertiser Index

DepartmentsThe Montana Highway Patrol proudly celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2010, having served the citizens of the state of Montana with integrity and respect since

1935. Photo by Clarke Sutphin.

Unless otherwise credited, material appearingin this magazine is the property of the Associa-tion of Montana Troopers, P.O. Box 394, Drum-mond, MT 59832. Copyright © 2009, Associationof Montana Troopers, all rights reserved. Print-ed in the U.S. Please contact the Association ofMontana Troopers for permission to reprint.

Vol. 21, No. 1 Spring 2010

On the Cover

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4 Montana trooper

In 2010, the Montana Highway Patrolcelebrates its 75th anniversary. What along way we’ve come since 1935.

Having been associated with theMHP since 1994, I feel I have had a

front row seat to what I perceive to bemany significant changes in the MHPand law enforcement in general.

When I first came to work, my badgeread “Patrolman,” and I drove a green1993 Ford Crown Victoria. Our cameraswere black and white 35 mm, and I didn’thave a portable breath test instrument,an in car video camera, or a mobile com-puter. Patrolmen relied heavily on theirtraining and experience to detect andbuild cases against DUI suspects, andreports were written solely by virtue ofhandwritten daily logs, notes, and mem-ory. Crash reports were three-part car-

bonless white, yellow, and pink formswritten by hand, and fatal crashes wereall drawn meticulously by hand. Pistolswere 9mm caliber, and shotguns werekept unsecured under the driver’s seatin a scabbard, while the M-14 .308 riflewas kept in the trunk. I worked a ninehour day but was only paid for eight,and I worked a six day work week, rotat-ing from night shifts to day shifts all with-in that six day period, generally withonly two rotating days off following.

Today, several generations removed,badges read “Trooper,” and I have ablack 2010 Chevrolet Impala, a digitalcamera, a portable breath test instru-ment, and a digital in car camera whichrecords constantly to a hard drive. Ialso have a dockable lap top comput-er with access to all cars and calls forservice mapped and plotted state-wide,CJIN, NCIC, e-mail, the internet, anda myriad of electronic forms whichinclude crash reports, daily activityreports, incident reports, citations, andwarnings. Fatal crashes are drawn usingan electronic mapping system knownas the Total Station. Pistols are .357caliber, and my shotgun and M-4 .223rifle are secured in a rack next to thedriver’s seat. Trooper work schedulesare four ten hour day or night shifts,followed by three set days off.

While all the changes over the entire75 years are almost too many to list,the one thing that hasn’t changed, how-ever, is the sense of pride and familythat exists at the heart of the MontanaHighway Patrol. It began in 1935 andstill exists today, 75 years later.

Whatever connection and historyyou have with the MHP, please joinme in celebrating the past 75 years ofservice, integrity, and respect that theMontana Highway Patrol stands for, aswell as my high hopes for the future,as we continue to move forward.

Until the next issue, be safe. q

Editor’s Comments

Montana Trooper

Submission Guidelines

Montana Trooper welcomes contri-butions in the form of articles andphotographs with captions.

Articles should be submitted inWord and in both upper and lowercase, not all caps. The editor reservesthe right to edit the text as per con-tent and length in consideration ofthe style of this publication. Articlesmay be submitted either on a CD orvia electronic mail.

Hard copy photos, digital JPEGphotos on CD, or digital JPEG photosvia electronic mail may be sent. Allphotographs should be of the highestpossible quality and, if digital, should

be at least 5.1 megapixels for blackand white reproduction and at least7.0 megapixels for color reproduction.

Photos meant for the cover arebest displayed when taken vertical-ly, as opposed to horizontal.

Please indicate if you wish foryour photo(s) and/or CD to be returned.Each photo should have an accom-panying description or caption.

Please do not imbed photos with-in articles, but rather send text andJPEG photos as a part of separate files.

Send submissions and all othercorrespondence to: Scott Ayers, 1013Babcock Blvd., Billings, MT 59105 ore-mail them to montanatrooper@q.com.

Sgt. Scott AyersEditor

Montana Trooper

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Greeting to all,As I write this letter it is less than

one week before Christmas. This is thetime of year when we all tend to lookback over the past year and reflect onhow it all went. For me it was a busyyear with AMT business. I started inJanuary meeting with the Western StatesConference. Trooper Cal Janes accom-panied me on this trip and was a greattravel companion, as well as a greatsource of information during the meet-ings. For those of you that don’t knowabout these meetings, it is a time forthose of us association leaders to gettogether and share what is happeningin our states in regards to everythingjob related. We take from these meet-ings ideas on how to provide a betterservice to our members, get a heads upon national trends in law enforcementand labor/management relations and inour case find out just how well off weare in the great state of Montana.

Immediately upon our return, the2009 Legislative session was our imme-diate concern. So far I have yet to berequired to become personally involvedin this process, but rest assured yourrepresentatives were closely watch-ing what was going on at Capitol Hill.By the end of the session the High-way Patrol had come through unscathed.We were able to head off a couple ofbills that would have affected yourpay as well as the retirement pay forfuture troopers. I would like to thankMark Taylor for the work he put induring this session as well as Major

Tom Butler. These two guys are con-stantly keeping their collective earsto the ground and noses to the grindstone to make sure we are treated wellby our state leadership. More impor-tantly I would like to thank all of youfor being the outstanding public ser-vants that you are. If not for our ster-ling reputation Mark and Tom wouldn’tbe able to accomplish what they dowith the legislature. By now you haveall received a letter from me regard-ing what I consider to be a success-ful first round of PAC activities. Near-ly everyone we supported won re-elec-tion, which is fantastic since we onlysupported those candidates that sup-port us. The PAC fund is growing andI anticipate we will be able to do morefor you and the MHP with this toolin the future.

In September, Sgt Scott Ayers andI attended the National Troopers Coali-tion Conference in North Carolina.This was a rather sobering experience.Across the nation, state police agen-cies are laying off troopers, requiringwork furloughs, and cutting pay. Whenit came time for me to give the statereport from Montana, I started by apol-ogizing for having a mostly happy report.I did this in jest as I am not ashamednor do I feel bad about things goingwell for us. We have worked hard forwhat we have and will continue to

work hard to keep what we have. Withthis in mind, Montana tends to be 12to 18 months behind the rest of thecountry in regards to the economy. So,while things were looking rosy then,we need to be ready for some hardtimes ahead. Just the other day, Mis-soula County lost one of its biggestemployers. Smurfit Stone announcedthey will shut down operations per-manently. This directly affects over400 employees and we have no ideawhat the ripple effect will be. In themeantime we need to continue to bethe consummate professionals that weare. So when the legislature next meetsand has to decide what services to cut,the Highway Patrol never enters theirminds. Please keep in contact with yourlocal legislatures and continue to bethe example of what professional lawenforcement looks like.

Until next time, please be safe andremember this is your association. Ilove to hear from you with your ideasand thoughts so drop me a line any-time. q

Fraternally,Art Collins

President’s Message

Montana Trooper

Sgt. Art CollinsPresidentAMT

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6 Montana trooper

This year—my first as Montana’sAttorney General—has been an amaz-ing experience, in large part becauseit has given me a personal relationshipwith law enforcement in our state.From helping carry the torch into theSpecial Olympics arena to recognizingtroopers for their efforts to preventdrunk driving, it has been a truly greatexperience.

Someone who understands thatexperience well is Polson Police ChiefDoug Chase. For years, he was the Chiefin Missoula, and he’s been in lawenforcement in Montana for well overfour decades. His perspective on lawenforcement—and what makes it sucha unique profession—is worth sharing.

Chief Chase began his law enforce-ment career in Missoula in 1963. Hestarted out at $2.39 an hour and wasfurnished with $50 for clothing, a two-

cell flashlight, and a pocketful of dimesto use in the local pay phones. Therewere no computers, no portable radios,no bullet-proof vests, no cell phonesor pagers or tasers. If you needed helpwith a resistive suspect, you had to beable to get to the pay phone, hang onto the suspect, dial the number anddeposit the dimes—a pretty tough testof strength and coordination.

The in-car computers and videorecorders Patrol troopers use today arejust a little more sophisticated, but thatis not the only area in which we havemade significant strides. To my mind,the progress we’ve made in interagencycooperation is just as important as thetechnological advances.

In years past, different law enforce-ment agencies didn’t necessarily getalong all that well. Turf battles betweenagencies were the norm rather thanthe exception. Fortunately, turf warshave gone the way of pay phones. Today,law enforcement in Montana is char-acterized by mutual respect and sup-port. One outstanding example occurredlast January, when a young mother wasshot and killed at the local hospital inGlasgow. With an unknown killer atlarge, 106 law enforcement officersand emergency medical personnel fromat least 20 different agencies respond-ed—including the Patrol.

It didn’t matter what agency theyworked for or whether they were local,tribal, state or federal. They came toback up their fellow officers, tend tothe victims and keep the people of theircommunity safe.

In 2009, we lost a number of troop-ers, including Mike Haynes who died ofthe injuries he received when his patrolcar was hit head on by a drunk driver.Attending his funeral was one of themost difficult things I’ve had to do asAttorney General. But it was also heart-ening to see that law enforcement offi-cers had come from every corner of Mon-tana to support his family and the Patrol.They came because Mike Haynes waspart of something bigger—the law enforce-ment family.

As we move into a new year, wehave a lot on our plate. In 2010, we willcontinue our work with the legislativeinterim committee which is looking intowhat we can do to reduce the preva-lence and acceptance of impaired dri-ving in Montana. Making progress inthis area remains one of my highest pri-orities. By this time next year, I expectwe will be going into the 62nd Legisla-tive Session with a strong, bipartisanproposal to substantially expand andstrengthen Montana’s limited DUI laws.

Our communities are ready forpositive change in this area and, withthe Patrol’s leadership, I believe wewill finally see laws that hold offend-ers more accountable and make sev-enth, eighth and ninth DUIs a thing ofthe past.

Next spring, the Montana High-way Patrol will celebrate its 75th

Anniversary. Like the broader lawenforcement community, the Patrolhas come a long way. As we continueto move forward, our Patrol troopersremain an essential factor in keepingour highways and our citizens safe.Thanks for all you do. q

From the Attorney GeneralMutual Respect and Support Mark Law Enforcement Family

Montana Trooper

MontanaAttorney GeneralSteve Bullock

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As 2009 draws to a close, it is nat-ural to reflect upon what has happenedin the last twelve months. This yearsaw the patrol lose three of our finestyoung men, as well as a recently retiredlegend, Ginger Kinsey.

Trooper Mike Haynes passed awayon March 27th after being injured ina crash caused by a drunk driver onMarch 23rd. Trooper Chris Hoyt passed

Colonel’s Message

Montana Trooper

ColonelMike Tooley

away on August 23rd as a result ofdrowning in an off duty incident. Final-ly, Trooper Vern Wise passed awayafter a short but valiant fight againstcancer on November 14th.

All of these deaths have been deeplyfelt in the Patrol family. However, evenin the midst of what seems to be con-stant tragedy good things can and dohappen. On August 19th, Troopers MikeHaynes and Glen Barcus were recog-nized by the National Highway Traf-fic Safety Administration (NHTSA) foroutstanding work on DUI enforcement.At the same gathering, troopers of Dis-trict six were named “Traffic SafetyHeroes” for the success that they havehad in reducing fatal and injury crash-es in the Flathead. Finally, there havebeen nearly a dozen promotions sincethe first of the year, anywhere from

sergeant all the way to lieutenant colonel. And the good news isn’t just lim-

ited to the uniformed ranks. Tami Ellisof the communications center was rec-ognized as the APCO Public Safety Com-municator of the Year for Montana.

Despite the tragedy we have seenand felt, I look back at the year as areal demonstration of the strength ofthe MHP and its people. That is whyI look to the future with hope andexpectation, because we obviously havemany great people within the organi-zation that show up every day and con-tribute to our mission. Thank you formaking this the organization it is.

Thank you also to those who sup-port us at home, in the communities,and as our retirees as we move into our75th year of serving and protecting themotoring public of Montana. q

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