Half-million grant funds satellite radios to boost rural safety

The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office won inclusion in a federal spending bill that will provide $500,000 for new communications equipment to reach the county's most remote terrain. The funding, approved for inclusion in the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act by the U.S. House, is earmarked to purchase 14 interoperable satellite systems that deputies can mount in patrol vehicles.

Sheriff Leo Dutton said the equipment will materially improve officer safety and response in areas without conventional radio coverage. "The citizens of Lewis and Clark County will benefit from this money we are getting," Dutton said. He noted the county covers roughly 3,500 square miles, with about a third that is roadless or wilderness: "Lewis and Clark County is 3500 square miles, and around a third of that is roadless or wilderness areas. We still work in those areas, search and rescue and law enforcement."

Communications in the county currently rely on a tower atop a hill in South Helena, but deputies have encountered incidents in places beyond its reach. Dutton recounted past emergencies where teams could not communicate or call for backup. "There is an immeasurable amount of stress on a hot call, meaning there is gunplay and violence, and you cannot get backup," Dutton said. "Yes, we have all kinds of training and tools, but sometimes you need help, and this will do that."

Representative Troy Downing, R-Montana, who analyzed and approved a slate of community requests for the House bill, emphasized the priority of equipping local law enforcement. "What we are getting through here is a lot of law enforcement requests to make sure that we are giving our law enforcement officers the tools they need to be successful in protecting our citizens," Downing said.

Although earmarked for Lewis and Clark County, the satellite systems are intended to be a shared resource for neighboring communities that lack reliable communications. "We also help other people, whether they are here or not, we respond, we help them out, Montana is a big town with long streets," Dutton said, underscoring the county's cross-jurisdictional role in regional search and rescue and emergency response.

The House passage moves the funding one step closer to deployment, but the money cannot be released until the appropriations measure clears the U.S. Senate and is signed by the president. For county residents, the technology promises clearer lines between isolated citizens and first responders and faster, safer backup for officers operating in Lewis and Clark County's rugged backcountry.