WALLACE — The Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office recently received the green light from county commissioners to pursue funds from the U.S. Border Patrol to beef up its presence on Interstate 90.

“They’ve been offering us a ton of assistance — more than I’ve seen in other areas,” Capt. Seth Green said. “They’re interested in this region particularly because of I-90 and it goes through.”  

The Operation Stonegarden Program is a mechanism of the United States Department of Homeland Security. It funds joint efforts to secure U.S. borders, including travel corridors in states bordering Mexico and Canada, as well as states and territories with international water borders. 

Green said the grant request is for $75,000 a year for the next three years, and the money would be used to fund patrol overtime and additional equipment, including police vehicles.

He said the Idaho State Police is struggling to recruit troopers, particularly in North Idaho, which has led to reduced patrols along Shoshone County’s stretch of I-90, which has become a major route for drug trafficking operations. 

The funds from the grant would allow deputies to work additional hours patrolling along I-90, working closely with USBP, which has increased its presence in the region over the past few years.  

Green said SCSO’s recent work in immigration and drug enforcement has not gone unnoticed by agencies like USBP, which has even provided some assistance to the sheriff’s office during a few of its operations.  

According to Green, the grant simply requires that deputies working the overtime patrol hours along the highway fill out additional paperwork detailing their efforts, as well as internal operations planning between SCSO administration and the Border Patrol.  

Green said not only will the county not lose any money, but that the additional equipment purchased through the grant can be used during routine SCSO activities, as well.  

“It would help pay for vehicles we would be buying anyway,” Green said.  

Last year, Operation Stonegarden provided $81 million to state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies.

Grant applications are due in June.