MISSOULA — The Missoula County Sheriff's Office appeared in the first episode of Live PD last week on A&E and Western Montana is a buzz with what they saw.
Undersheriff Rich Marcelli says that they have received both positive and negative comments but so far it's been about 10 positive to every negative comment.
Law enforcement says they expected a mixed response from the community and did extensive research leading up to the show to make sure it would be a positive experience for Missoula County.
While the season is nine episodes long, MCSO says they can leave at any time -- and that if it seems like the majority of the community is against more appearances they would consider leaving.
One thing that the Sheriff's Office hopes to achieve by being on the show is the ability to recruit and retain more deputies.
MSCO is also very proud of how their deputies operate in the community and hope to showcase some more positive stories about their community interactions.
Another big reason for being on the show is to show cases that they might need help and tips from the public -- like the Jermain Charlo missing persons case that was showcased on LIVE PD last week.
"The Jermain Charlo [segment] -- the missing and indigenous person report. I mean we have already been receiving tips on that we didn't have before. That in of itself has made this a huge success," Marcelli told MTN News.
"It's been tremendous for the family we have had feedback from them as well. You know, they are very appreciative and grateful that they have had this opportunity to showcase their family's situation and hopefully get some kind of resolution or at least some answers on this case," Marcelli concluded.
