At a ceremony this afternoon, the Montana Law Enforcement Academy (MLEA) graduated 56 new officers who will serve various agencies across the state. The Academy is operated by the Montana Department of Justice; it provides basic and advanced training for state, county, city and tribal law enforcement officers throughout the state.

The ceremony took place at MLEA’s gymnasium, and included remarks from Attorney General Tim Fox, MLEA Administrator Glen Stinar, and class representative Cody Carriger of the Billings Police Department. Montana Supreme Court Justice Laurie McKinnon administered the oath of office.

In his remarks, Fox urged the new officers to give back to their communities, to seek help when needed, and to keep their lives balanced. “Work hard, but don’t let your work dominate your life,” Attorney General Tim Fox said. “You will see and experience some extremely difficult things throughout your career, but balance and moderation are the keys to moving forward and maintaining healthy relationships with family, friends, and neighbors,” Fox added.

Several of the graduates received awards for their performance during training:

• Cody Carriger received: o The Don Williams Award, which is given to the officer elected by the class as Class Representative. The award is given in memory of Thompson Falls Police Chief Don Williams, who was killed in the line of duty in 1974.

o The Jack Wiseman Award, which is given to the officer selected by his/her peers as the most outstanding officer. The officers of each class select the recipient by considering two questions: 1) If you were a law enforcement agency administrator, who would you most want to hire? 2) If it were 2:00 a.m. and things were going bad quickly, who would you most want to know was coming to help you? The award is given in tribute to Jack Wiseman, who served as a training officer and commander at the Montana Law Enforcement Academy for more than 22 years.

○ The Joe May Award, which is given to the officer who displays exceptional leadership and motivation. The award is given in honor of the late Joe May, one of the people credited with the conception and creation of the Montana Law Enforcement Academy.

• Matthew Wilson received the Jimmy Kaaro award, which is given to the officer who achieves the highest level of academic standing in each class. The award is given in honor of retired Fergus County Sheriff Jimmy Kaaro.

• McKenzie Lyons received the Paul Williams Award, which is given to the officer who provided inspiration to the staff and students through a display of unwavering dedication and determination. The award is given in memory of the late Chouteau County Sheriff Paul Williams.

• Ian Busta received the Alex Mavity Award, which is given to the student who achieves the highest accumulated score on all academic and skills-based training. The award is given in honor of Billings Police Department Detective Alex Mavity, who was killed in the line of duty in 1989.

• William Clark received the Josh Rutherford Award, which is given to the officer in each class who achieves the highest scores in defensive tactics. The award is given in memory of Blaine County Deputy Sheriff Josh Rutherford, who was a defensive tactics instructor with the Montana Law Enforcement Academy when he lost his life in the line of duty in 2003.

• Eric Arnold received the Glenn Janes Award, which is given to the student in each class who demonstrates the highest level of proficiency in the Police Vehicle Operation Course. The award is given in honor of Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Glenn Janes, who served as a driving instructor at the Montana Law Enforcement Academy.

• Jesse Short received:

o The Hal Vogelsang Award, which is given to the officer who displays the highest degree of fidelity as determined by Academy staff. The recipient has demonstrated exceptional qualities of honor, pride, integrity, duty, loyalty, and service to not only the class, but the staff and entire profession. The award is given in honor of Hal Vogelsang, who served as an FBI special agent for more than 36 years, and as a training officer at the Montana Law Enforcement Academy for more than 25 years.

o The Allen Kimery Award, which is given in recognition of outstanding marksmanship and the class’s highest ranking in firearms training through marksmanship, safety, and tactical proficiency. The award is given in honor of Missoula County Sheriff Deputy Allen Kimery, who was killed in the line of duty in 1984.

The roster of Class #173 is available here.