MISSOULA – Trooper Timothy Templeton joined the Montana Highway Patrol in 2014 after deciding he needed a change of pace from his desk job.
“I joined the patrol in 2014. I was working a desk job and I wanted a change of pace, and I was interested in police work and started at different agencies across the state and Highway Patrol caught my attention.”
The Highway Patrol felt like the right fit for Templeton because it offered him the opportunity to give back and help people in the community.
“Helping people, I think, is a calling. I’ve done that my whole life, I was raised that way and this just fell into it. So I felt a strong desire to be a cop and I thought the trooper role fit the best.”
It isn’t all traffic stops and crash scene investigations for Templeton, who enjoys delivering safe driving instructions to drivers ed and other safe driving classes.
“I really enjoy instructing, getting in front of students on a regular basis and exposing them to the realities of the dangers on the road and not just scaring them, but educating them on how they can stay safe. It’s a lot of fun. The feedback from them is great.”
Templeton is a jack of all trades for Highway Patrol and is also one of the select few that gets to be a Tweeting Trooper.
On a legit stake out at the moment. This is not an everyday event for the highway patrol. Obviously I can’t share any details but here is what I know….
1. I need some snacks. ??????2. I need a much better pair of binoculars. ????
— Trooper TJ Templeton (@Trooper_TJ) August 7, 2018
“I’m one of the tweeting troopers in the state. We started this program as a way to portray the Highway Patrol and us as individuals, as humans and kind of humanize what we are doing on a day-to-day basis to connect with our communities, and it’s been really fruitful. A lot of feedback from people on Twitter and elsewhere on social media. Most people in the state of Montana appreciate what we do and we feel that it’s just nice to have some connecting points for them to express that.”
Templeton is originally from Missouri but now considers Missoula home. In his spare time he loves to take advantage of all the outdoor activities Western Montana has to offer with his family.
