On Friday, December 13, the Montana Law Enforcement Academy announced the graduation of 55 new officers.

Some of those graduates received special recognition for their performance during their time at the academy.

Butte Silver-Bow officer Bryce Foley earned the most awards, while Missoula Missoula Police Officer Henry Jensen received praise for achieving the highest accumulated score on all academic and skills-based training.

According to Department of Justice spokesman John Barnes, the Montana law enforcement academy helps foster both healthy competition and camaraderie in a way most states don't get to experience.

"All of these officers train together," Barnes said. "You know, other states, these different folks will train differently. The highway patrol will have its own academy, city and county will go one way, tribal law enforcement will do something else. They train together here, and that, I think, establishes a considerable amount of comradery that ends up helping them down the road."

Of special note, the awards handed out for excellence at the academy are named for Montana law enforcement professionals who died in the line of service.

Below is the list of award recipients sent out by the academy:

  • Billings Police Officer Todd Clyatt received 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.
  • Butte-Silver Bow Law Enforcement Officer Bryce Foley received the Health and Physical Fitness Award, which is given to the officer in each class who participates and excels in the Hard Rock Challenge and achieves the class’s best score in the Montana Physical Abilities Test.
  • Butte-Silver Bow Law Enforcement Officer Bryce Foley also received the Paul Williams Award, which is given to the officer in each class who has provided great inspiration to the staff and student through his display of unwavering dedication and determination. The award is given in memory of the late Chouteau County Sheriff Paul Williams.
  • Butte-Silver Bow Law Enforcement Officer Bryce Foley also received the Jack Wiseman Award, which is given to the officer in each class who is selected by his peers as the most outstanding officer. The officers of each class select the recipient by pondering two questions: 1) if you were a law enforcement agency administrator, who would you most want to hire? 2) if it were 2am 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.
  • Butte-Silver Bow Law Enforcement Officer Christopher Snyder received the Joe May Award, which is given to the office in each class who displays exceptional leadership and an incredible sense of 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.
  • Cascade County Sheriff Deputy Justin Kambic 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.
  • Mineral County Sheriff Deputy Tim Case received the Jimmy Kaaro award, which is given to the officer who achieves the highest level of academic standing in each class. Case has an overall average of 98.49% on all academic course work. The award is given in honor of retired Fergus County Sheriff Jimmy Kaaro.
  • Missoula Police Officer Henry Jensen 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.
  • Missoula Police Officer Henry Jensen also received the Alex Mavity Award, which is given to the student from each class 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.
  • Missoula Police Officer Caitlyn Olds received the Hal Vogelsang Award, which is given to the officer in each class who displays the highest degree of fidelity as determined by the 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.
  • Sidney Police Officer Laura Finn received 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.

 

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