The Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) has a new sheriff in town! Or rather, Colonel. Kurt Sager, who has served in the MHP since 2003, was promoted from Lieutenant Colonel and named to lead the organization by Attorney General Austin Knudsen last Tues. Col. Sager has been serving as the MHP’s interim leader since the retirement of former Col. Steve Lavin last month, and has now formally accepted a permanent position as the agency’s head.
Col. Sager has served in a variety of roles during his time at MHP, from working as a road trooper to managing the state’s impaired driving program. He was also responsible for overseeing MHP’s headquarters relocation from Helena to Boulder in 2021, where he has been stationed since.
“The Boulder campus has worked great for us,” said Col. Sager in an interview with The Monitor. “We’d outgrown our location in Helena, and relocating to Boulder fit our needs and then some.”
As Col. Sager assumes leadership at MHP, he is focused on actualizing the organization’s core mission of protecting Montana highways.
“We have a clear mission we’re committed to,” said Col. Sager. “Our expectation of service is to support local agencies in any way we can, within the scope of our focus.” Sager explained that MHP’s local support function might include providing officer backup, helping to control traffic through accident or disaster areas, or assisting with investigations. Sager also spoke to how MHP helps address state-wide public safety concerns.
“MHP focuses on the highways,” said Col. Sager. “We’ve been historically good at teaming up with local jurisdictions and creating partnerships between agencies that can help address emerging public safety issues. This allows us to multiply our impact, and, ultimately, benefits citizens.”
