Moose Mayhem - Erin Brush

Crowds were forming as more and more Bozeman citizens noticed the giant bull moose who had made his way to the parking lot outside of Outback Steakhouse just off of one of Bozeman’s busiest roads. Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) Trooper Mickey Doherty promptly ceased his traffic stops to alleviate the situation. After being crowded by residents of a nearby hotel, the moose fled to a small field between WinCo and Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Officer Doherty worked with Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP), the Bozeman Police Department, and the Sheriff’s Department to close roads and prevent citizens from spooking the moose or possibly getting injured. The officers worked as a team to surround the moose as they waited for the state veterinarian to tranquilize the animal so he could be relocated to a safer location.

This is just one example of the interagency cooperation that is utilized daily to efficiently and effectively serve Gallatin County and Montana as a whole. FWP, City Police Departments, Sheriffs Departments, and MHP work together across Montana to protect the citizens therein. Whether a call requires more assistance than one agency can offer, or is just more efficiently handled by an officer of another department who happens to be nearer the situation, the unity of the police force in Montana makes for a safe place in which citizens can reside. This unity is not only experience at work. Even when officers are off the clock, they will host Barbeques and invite members of all the different agencies to join. These agencies truly exist as a family, and are not only there for each other, but each of their communities around the state of Montana.