August 30th, 2016, Bozeman, MT- Attorney General Tim Fox and MHP Sergeant Pat McCarthy unveiled a new community safety initiative called “Cop on a Bus” in Bozeman. The program partners local law enforcement agencies including Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, Bozeman and Belgrade Police Departments with Bozeman and Belgrade Public Schools and First Student to keep students safe on the bus ride to and from school.
The premise is simple- a law enforcement officer will ride on a selected bus route and watch for stop arm violations. When the officer spots a violation, he or she will report it to a partner working in the area who will then initiate a traffic stop. The program is a proactive response to one of the most frequent traffic complaints that law enforcement receives- stop arm violations. Currently in the pilot stages, “Cop on the Bus” is only active in the Bozeman and Belgrade area at this time. We hope to expand the program across the state in the future.
The goals of the program are straightforward- to reduce, if not eliminate stop arm violations within the community, to encourage drivers to carefully consider the impacts and potential consequences of their driving behaviors and to increase positive community partnerships.