Bigfork student creates new patrol car design

With the help of Bigfork High School senior Hattie Emslie, the Flathead County Sheriff’s Department is unveiling a new look for its patrol vehicles.

After combing through a number of designs submitted by area high school students, the department elected to go with Emslie’s design, showcasing the first of the new-look patrol cars at a ceremony in front of Bigfork High School Monday morning.

“It was great to have the high school kids step up like this,” Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino said. “We had a lot of great designs, but we thought this one really captures our community and what we have here in the Flathead Valley while maintaining a professional appearance.”

The new patrol vehicle design features quite the change from the one that has been used by the department for more than a decade. In place of the old white vehicles with black lettering and gold trim, the new design features a darker gray color scheme with black lettering and a white stroke while the gold Flathead County lettering remains. Looming impressively in light blue above the lettering is Emslie’s new mountain design, which the sheriff hopes will give the patrol vehicles a unique, local look.

“It was a design that really grabs your eye and also shows support for our local communities and what is important to them,” Heino said. “We wanted something that would really represent Flathead County well while also looking professional and that is exactly what we got with Hattie’s design.”

The blue mountain design is featured on both sides of the vehicle as well as on the back, where it is joined by the department’s values — integrity, excellence, partnerships, and service.

According to Heino, the contest to design the new look began in December and was open to all high school students in the Flathead Valley. Emslie’s design will slowly make its way onto all of the Sheriff’s vehicles over the next few years.

“COVID delayed the process, but we finally were able to pick a design that we really like,” Heino said. “Adapting the entire fleet will take a while, but with this design, we will have some sharp-looking patrol vehicles.”

Emslie was surprised to find out she had won the contest, having arrived at the ceremony thinking she was coming to the school to pick up her cap and gown for graduation.

“I am shocked. This is a great experience. I just came up with a design for fun, I never really thought I would see it on the side of a car,” she said. “It’s amazing to see my design come to life.”

According to Emslie, School Resource Officer Paula Sullivan came to her in the school library one afternoon asking if she could come up with some “cool” mountain designs for the contest. In just over an hour, Emslie had come up with the design now featured on Sullivan’s patrol car.

The new paint job for the car was done by Jance’s Body Shop, while the graphics were provided by St. Marie’s Graphics.

No matter what the future holds for Emslie after graduation, she will always be able to say she left her mark on the Flathead Valley.

Reporter Jeremy Weber can be reached at jweber@dailyinterlake.com.