Highway Interdiction & Rural Patrol
This course prepares officers to proactively identify and detect criminal activity on roadways, with a focus on highway interdiction and rural patrol. Students learn how to turn routine traffic stops into effective investigations by recognizing behavioral indicators, analyzing vehicle and occupant factors, and applying a consistent, legally sound approach.
The training emphasizes practical application, including roadside conversations, consent searches, and decision-making based on the totality of circumstances. Officers leave with actionable strategies and the confidence to conduct professional, effective patrols that can be immediately applied in the field.
Online
Course
15 Hours
Yes
$300
Barry Kilpela
Sergeant Barry Kilpela has served with the Montana Highway Patrol since 2013 and has been a K-9 handler since 2016, later becoming a K-9 trainer in 2022. He currently serves as the agency’s statewide K-9 Unit Supervisor. A founding member of Montana’s first full-time criminal interdiction team, Kilpela continues to actively work interdiction along the Interstate 90 and Interstate 94 corridors. Through self-initiated cold stops, he has seized over 2.5 metric tons of illegal drugs, more than $1.2 million in illicit currency, and made over 250 interdiction arrests.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Northern Michigan University, an Advanced Peace Officer License in Montana, and is a P.O.S.T.-certified instructor. Kilpela has also served as an adjunct instructor at Dawson Community College and is recognized as a subject matter expert on police canine use and drug-tainted currency for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Montana. Since 2023, he has instructed with Yellowstone Narcotics, providing practical, experience-based training that officers can immediately apply in their day-to-day patrol work.