Montana Highway Patrol trooper Andy Horton has been named trooper of the year by the Kalispell Lions Club based on a recommendation from his captain and sergeants.

When asked why he was chosen this year, Horton guessed it was at least in part due to the collateral duties he has picked up in his seven and half years with Montana Highway Patrol.

“As a trooper my primary duty is service to the public. We mainly do crash investigations and traffic enforcement,” he said.

But Horton is also a field training officer, teaching new troopers the procedures and policies of the Montana Highway Patrol and how to be safe to make sure they go home to their families at the end of a shift.

He also offers legislative and public ride-alongs to give government officials a taste of the risks, challenges and obstacles troopers face out on the roads, or for members of the public with an interest in the law enforcement community.

He’s a firearms instructor for Region 6, Alive at 25 instructor and a tow company compliance inspector, as well.

The last of these he admits is not very glamorous, but it is one more thing that needs to get done. The Montana Highway Patrol is called out to a lot of wrecks, and some of those have to be investigated for any criminal wrongdoing. In those cases the tow companies used to have to meet certain requirements because they aren’t just dealing with a wrecked car, they are dealing with evidence. When it comes to proper treatment of evidence, justice can hang in the balance, so insuring the companies are in compliance with proper procedures is essential, Horton said.

Region 6, which covers Flathead, Lake and Lincoln counties is not the largest geographic district, but it has the highest number of calls in the state.

Sometimes the duties interfere with one another.

“One of the biggest challenges of this job is how much it can intrude on family life,” said Horton. “I’m a family guy. Shift work, working on holidays, having to go to court on days off, getting called out to emergencies, these are just some of what we have to deal with. In this job you respond when needed, and sometimes when there’s a lot of need.”

“The keys are service, integrity and respect,” he said.

Whether teaching new troopers or dealing with the public, he said he always returns to these three points.

“It’s easy to become tainted doing this job. You start thinking ‘Am I making a difference?’ or ‘Won’t people ever learn?’ and you can get caught up in those negative thoughts. But I always want to remember there is not one perfect person out here. We are all flawed, and I’m certainly on that list. So when I am dealing with someone, I treat them with respect because in most cases these aren’t bad people, they are just someone who is not making the best choice in that moment.”

Horton said the challenges of the job never outweigh the privilege of doing it. He said he was raised in a Christian home and was taught to respect law enforcement. After a few ride-alongs where he got to see troopers help and serve, he made a career switch and joined the patrol.

“The best part about this job is being able to help people. I get to be a part of doing good in situations that most people will never experience or understand. The stakes are high, but getting to do good in these extreme cases, that is a kind of a gift,” said Horton. “This is a unique way to serve — that is important to remember every day.”