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Montana Highway Patrol plans to hire new troopers

Posted at 6:48 PM, Oct 04, 2023
and last updated 2023-10-05 13:10:32-04

Montana Highway Patrol is recruiting ten new troopers to fill entry-level and lateral-level positions. Applications are open now through November 1st.

Montana Highway Patrol troopers are tasked with some very difficult situations. They handle things from traffic safety, intercepting the transit of illegal narcotics and weapons to detecting human trafficking and other criminal activity that takes place on our highways.

Public information officer for the Montana Highway Patrol, Sgt. Jay Nelson, explained why we are needing more troopers as well as some of the qualifications needed to get started with the entry-level and lateral positions available.

“There's a shortage in law enforcement nationwide and Montana is no different, and so we always have about 2 to 3 academies a year; however, this time, we are definitely short on troopers and would like to get the best applicants for the job,” said Sgt. Nelson.

The new troopers will help secure Montana’s highways. Working as a Montana Highway Patrol trooper, Sgt. Nelson explained, comes with a lot of freedom and independence.

“A day in the life of the trooper is an interesting position. We want self-motivated people, people that are independent,” said Sgt. Nelson. “You bring your patrol car to your house and so you start your day from your house. You get to decide, unless there's calls stacked up for you, do I turn left? Do I turn right? Where do I want to go today? Within your patrol area and so there's a lot of freedom involved.”

The hiring and training process takes several weeks to ensure the best quality candidates are selected for the job. Montana Highway Patrol takes very seriously the need for qualified employees to keep our highways safe and Montanans protected.

“It’s not a quick process to get hired by the highway patrol. We have trained background investigators that will travel to wherever you might be from and really look at the candidate to see if they're the best fit for the position,” said Sgt. Nelson. “The other difference is truly our training and professionalism. We are some of the best trained, best equipped law enforcement officers in the state of Montana, and we pride ourselves in that.”

For more information or to apply, click here.



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