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Two local businesses in Billings, Montana, recently united to show their appreciation for law enforcement personnel by providing free lunch to police department and sheriff’s office employees at their year-end “Copz at Topz” event.
Topz Sandwich company and Performance Engineering held the event on December 30 to honor the dedicated service of law enforcement to the community throughout the year.
Performance Engineering employee and Billings City Councilman Scott Aspenlieder, who came up with the idea for the event, explained the rationale behind it.
“With everything that’s gone on this past year, it just felt like a great opportunity to show how grateful we are for their hard work,” Aspenlieder said. “It’s just a small, small fraction of what we should be doing to try and support our law enforcement community.”
Billings police Sergeant Jeff Stovall welcomed the initiative.
“We’re 365 days, seven days a week. We don’t really get a breath of fresh air, and we’re taxed at the end of the day. Stuff like this, it warms our heart. It’s one of those things that motivates us to keep going every day,” Stovall said.
The Billings Police Department faced significant challenges in 2023, with 12 reported homicides — equivalent to the previous year. Notably, some of these incidents involved teenagers, which wrought an emotional toll on law enforcement officers.
“It takes a huge toll on us because a lot of us are parents, and then it brings it back home for you,” Stovall explained. “We’re human beings and that’s the balance we have to learn as police officers.”
Despite the difficulties, Stovall commended the progress made, citing a decrease in assaults with a weapon from 340 incidents in 2022 to 268 in 2023.
However, Stovall also noted numerous other challenges officers face daily, from responding to deadly incidents to handling various crisis calls.
“You can go to a fatal car crash, and then turn around and be having to deal with someone who’s having a suicide crisis,” Stovall said. “Then someone who’s dealing with domestic violence. Just a big toll it has on us mentally.”
Topz owner Tucker Veltkamp said he didn’t hesitate to help out in support of law enforcement.
“They do a very hard job and it can be a thankless job. We appreciate them, man. They’re amazing. We want to send out vibes that let them know, ‘We’re behind you and we support you,’” Veltkamp said.
The event was open to all law enforcement agencies, including Billings police officers, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office deputies, Montana Highway Patrol troopers and Montana State University Billings campus police officers. Aspenliedeer and Veltkamp hope that other businesses will follow suit with similar initiatives.
“You don’t get into law enforcement than for any other reason than you want to change your community and leave it better than you found it. So that’s where our hearts are at, and it’s felt in this thank-you from the community today,” Stovall said, summing up his feelings about the event.
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