Glacier County Law Enforcement Patrol Vehicles and Safety Enhancements Project

Glacier County is situated in Northwestern Montana on the Eastern boundary of Glacier National Park. Boasting a service area of 3,037 square miles of rugged wilderness bordering a National Park and the U.S. – Canadian Border, Glacier County is a unique County.  Glacier County includes 70% of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and 20% of Glacier National Park.  Glacier County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) provides law enforcement services to the entire County.  

GCSO may be a rural county Sheriff’s Office but with its multiple jurisdictions, GCSO has an annual call volume comparable to major Police departments.  GCSO responds to all threats, natural disasters, violent crimes, court ordered transports, coroner calls, civil processes in addition to providing support services to Blackfeet Law Enforcement, Cut Bank Police Department, United States Border Patrol, Montana Highway Patrol, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Glacier National Park Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Marshal Service.  Due to Glacier County’s multiple jurisdictions and lack of available detention facilities; Glacier County’s Detention Facility is vital to the county.  The detention facility is capable of housing 24 prisoners.  Incarcerations for charges ranging from petty theft to murder across all jurisdictions contributes to a daily average of 16-18 prisoners.

An estimated 14,000 Glacier County citizens rely on GCSO to provide law enforcement services throughout the year, that number skyrockets from Memorial Day to Labor Day with an estimated 2 million people visiting Glacier National Park.

Patrolling the 3,037 square miles of Glacier County is demanding on vehicles.  Deputies are tasked with patrolling hundreds of miles sometimes traveling to all sides of the county in a single shift. 

The Glacier County Law Enforcement Patrol Vehicles and Safety Enhancements Project will replace 4 aging patrol vehicles with 4 fully equipped 2024, F-150 - Police Responders.  Securing funding to purchase patrol vehicles will ensure quicker response time while providing a safer county for Glacier County citizens, the traveling public and Glacier County Deputies.   

In addition to replacing patrol vehicles the project will replace a non-functioning electronic lock and interface system in the Glacier County Detention Facility.  Current protocol requires Detention staff to use physical keys to lock and unlock doors.  This poses potential risks to Detention staff as well as prisoners. Securing funding to replace this antiquated system would provide safer environment for prisoners, Glacier County Deputies, Glacier County Detention staff and all first responders who utilize the detention center.