Added March 30, 2026

Highway Interdiction & Rural Patrol

Dickinson, ND · Apr 1–2, 2026 · 15 hours · FREE

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Instructor

Barry Kilpela

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Description

This course is specifically designed for the uniformed patrol officer looking to advance their skillset in criminal/drug interdiction patrol tactics. Traffic stops are one of the most common and potentially dangerous interactions you will have while working the road, with all types of criminals traveling our jurisdictions daily. Make no mistake, these criminals become most vulnerable while in transit. This course takes students from that foundational principle and guides through each step of a successful, prosecutable interdiction traffic stop. Starting with initial observation and target selection of vehicle in motion, through report writing and courtroom testimony, students will be shown real life examples to refine their roadside communication skills, detect concealed criminal activity, and increase proactive
arrests.

This course is instructed and developed by Montana Highway Patrol Trooper and K9 Handler Barry Kilpela. Barry was a founding member of the state’s first criminal interdiction team and currently patrols the Interstate 94 corridor in rural Montana. During self-initiated cold traffic stops, Barry has been responsible for hundreds of major arrests ranging from drug smuggling to bank fraud to murder and has interdicted some of the largest cash and dangerous drug seizures in eastern Montana history. Keeping no secrets, Barry has formulated his teaching with the rural patrol officer in mind and instructs from his own real-life experience on the road and in the courtroom. Kilpela holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice, an Advanced Peace Officer license, is a P.O.S.T. certified law enforcement instructor, and also serves as an adjunct collegiate instructor. Over the course of his career, Barry has received numerous awards, commendations, and recognitions for his work in criminal interdiction and is a previous recipient of the Montana Narcotic Officer Association’s “Narcotics Officer of The Year” Award.

Reviews for this course

4.9/5.0 (58 reviews)
5★
54
4★
4
3★
0
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Jacob P.
ME

Barry made this class fun to learn by using his real world experience and tactics.

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Christopher L.
ME

This course was a wonderful introduction to interdiction. Instructor was great and the class was filled with real world experience and strategies.

★★★★☆ 4/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Bailey B.
ME

Great class, I really enjoyed the footage of the traffic stops.

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Michael M.
ME

Barry is very knowledgeable and a great instructor. I would highly recommend this class.

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Jerritt G.
ME

This class was exceptionally informative and opened my eyes to new tactics and methods. Highly recommended.

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Ashley J.
ME

It was an outstanding experience from start to finish. The course was extremely well-structured, combining real-world scenarios with practical techniques that are immediately applicable in the field. The instructor was highly knowledgeable, professional, and brought a depth of experience that made the material engaging and relevant.

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Carlos C.
ME

Fantastic course! Opened my eyes to the humbling fact that I have not been approaching traffic stops as effectively as I should be. Thankful for the training and perspective.

★★★★☆ 4/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Celjeta B.
ME

Great interdiction training that clearly explained reasonable suspicion, probable cause, and how to properly articulate traffic stops and searches. The real-world examples made it easy to apply the concepts in the field. Very useful and worth attending.

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Gavin V.
ME

Barry was very knowledgeable, articulate, and was able to teach the class fitting for rural areas such as Maine. I believe this knowledge and experience/expertise should be continued in class to come

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Devin G.
ME

Class was informative and useful for patrol tactics.

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Marc R.
ME

Barry is highly knowledgeable, kept the class engaged, and brought real world experience and application to the class. He kept state case law/policy’s in mind, and taught a great course!

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Gabrielle D.
ME

Great class with great information. I can’t wait to get back to work and put the information I learned to use.

★★★★☆ 4/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Bradley A.
ME

Great explanations of procedure and explains results.

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Conner F.
ME

Class was well done and I greatly appreciate the experience that berry brought to the class

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Alan M.
ME

Very good breakdown and instruction on roadside interview for interdiction

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Brad H.
ME

Great class with a lot of applicable concepts

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Trevor S.
ME

Great class for officers of all levels and i will be attending more trainings

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Tyler S.
ND

I highly recommend this course for any LEO. The techniques taught in this course are applicable to so many aspects of the job! Kilpela is a great instructor and keeps you engaged.

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Collin H.
MT

I learned a lot of applicable skills during this class. I am looking forward to using these skills during my everyday patrol.

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Dustin F.
ND

Very informative and helpful tactics for interdiction work.

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Trey W.
ND

Great class, highly recommended!

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Duke B.
ND

The information and knowledge from the instructor will be very useful. I highly recommend all to attend.

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Justin B.
ND

Great information and explained everything in depth

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Corbin S.
ND

Very informative for what we do and where we work. Had lots of good resources and tips.

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5
Alan M.
ND

Great Class! A lot of good information and very informative!

★★★★★ 5/5 · Instructor: ★★★★★ 5/5

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