Resiliency in the midst of a pandemic

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2020-21 has rocked the City of Bozeman's community to the core, the Covid Pandemic, the surge in population paired with the rise of living expenses, and the wildfires which have scarred the mountainsides; challenges we all see. But, often the day-to-day ups and downs of our community are faced by the teamwork and organization of uniformed men and women that do not often get the recognition that they deserve while putting themselves in harm's way for their community. 

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Regardless of political or social opinions, being educated about how our Police force works is the only way to keep both the officers and the community they serve as safe as possible. We followed different officers on the job to grab their perspective on the Montana Highway Patrol and how they have been impacted by the events that not only impacted our growing community but the wider United States. 

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A glance at the help wanted signs in the windows of hundreds of Bozeman businesses makes prevalent the struggle to find employees during Covid. The Montana Highway Patrol is no exception in this struggle. Troopers work tireless hours serving the community and are sometimes unable to return home at the end of their shift because of staff shortages and growing accident rates. There is no shutting down because of staff shortages when lives are on the line. The shortage of troopers prevents the Highway Patrol from being able to be proactive in protecting the community because they are too busy being reactive to problems that have already arisen. Thankfully, they are able to work with other agencies to remain resilient in these times of hardship.