The Montana Law Enforcement Academy will graduate 53 new officers Friday, and most of them will report for duty by Monday. Academy administrator Glen Stinar says this class includes 13 Native American graduates. That’s more Native officers than any other basic course in the Academy’s history.
"It’s the combination of a couple of things. One is vacancies. The stars have aligned and they’ve managed to send some people here. And my understanding, from at least the Blackfeet Tribal Law enforcement, is that they’ve had an increase in funding and that’s allowed them to hire some folks and get them down here.”
Stinar says the Academy is excited to turn out some new graduates.
"Montanans deserve safe communities and we do the best we can to provide folks with the training and the skill to do that.”
All graduates have been employed by their respective state, county, city and tribal agencies for less than a year.
Blackfeet Tribal Chief Earl Old Person will lead a brief ceremony for tribal graduates as part of Friday’s graduation.