KALISPELL — The Flathead County Sheriff’s Posse consists of 65 auxiliary and sworn officers working on a volunteer basis, assisting the Flathead County Sheriff’s Office since 1964.
The posse was given high-end radios and communication equipment valued at close to $800,000 on Friday, thanks to a generous donation from technology company L3Harris.
“So, we kind of put together a wish list, and they gave us everything we asked for,” Flathead County Sheriff’s Posse Commander Travis Sallee told MTN News.
The Flathead County Sheriff’s Posse received 65 high-end radios with first-class security software and programming allowing top-notch communication.
“Traditionally, we’ve had to source our own gear and our own equipment, so we’ve had to make do with what we could find, a lot of times that’s used equipment, its mismatched equipment, it doesn’t necessarily communicate well with each other, so this is going to be the first time that we’ve had a single unified platform that works with the county, all the other agencies,” said Sallee.
Sallee said the posse is made up entirely of volunteers, helping assist the sheriff’s office during emergency situations and more.
“Our reserve deputies, they go out on patrol, and they help supplement when the patrol numbers are down to keep the shifts up, and especially with the increased population they need as much help as they can get,” added Sallee.
Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino said call numbers into the sheriff’s office have increased dramatically the last two years as more and more people move into the county.
Heino said having the Sheriff’s Posse on the same level of communication as the sheriff’s office, is a major asset for the safety of residents throughout Flathead county.
“It just helps us dramatically, the ability to communicate is always the biggest thing in law enforcement, so it’s just a wonderful opportunity and a gracious donation by L3Harris,” said Heino.
L3Harris is a technology company out of Virginia specializing in advanced defense and commercial technology as well as professional communication systems.
L3Harris Vice president of Sales Danielle Marcella said her company was impressed by the level of commitment and work ethic; Flathead Sheriff’s Posse volunteers display.
“That they put their lives on the line as volunteers in support of their community was really something that we’ve never seen before, so we wanted to do our part to make their lives and their jobs a little easier,” said Marcella.
