Law Enforcement

New trespassing laws went on the books at the start of July. They were intended to provide clarity and unify provisions that stretched across three separate codes. Rather than simplify things, some in law enforcement say they’re causing headaches.

A wrongful death lawsuit in Payette County didn’t last long. A mistrial was declared on the first day of proceedings in the case involving a sheriff’s deputy.

This week, several employees of the Idaho Department of Corrections were indicted by federal authorities. One group, who faces a range of charges, was allegedly willing to help traffic drugs.

Applications are open for a new community advisory panel with the Boise Police Department. The idea is to build trust between the police and the people they serve.

The Ada County Sheriff’s Office says it will use drones for limited purposes while investigating crimes.

The Sheriff’s Office has created a new drone policy and picked nine deputies to operate and fly the unmanned crafts. The office stresses that it will not violate the privacy of citizens.

The small city of Filer is exploring the feasibility of outsourcing its police force to the Twin Falls County Sheriff. Hundreds turned out to support Filer cops at a meeting Tuesday night.

City Council meetings in Filer don’t typically draw hundreds of citizens, but Tuesday’s brought out droves of people supporting the Filer Police Department.

Filer’s mayor, Rick Dunn, asked the Twin Falls County Sheriff to explore the possibility of outsourcing the city’s law enforcement to the county. Sheriff Tom Carter presented his findings at last night’s council meeting.

Two Ada County sheriff’s deputies last week shot and killed 53-year-old Lee Easter in his southwest Boise home. Easter was, at the time, reportedly suicidal. The deputies say they tried to talk to him but that Easter pointed a handgun at them and they fired. That shooting is being investigated by the Ada County Critical Incident Task Force and being led by the Boise Police Department.

Today, April 20th, is a bit of a holiday for marijuana enthusiasts. It's a day when they get together to smoke what has traditionally been an illegal drug. That on its own is not necessarily news. 

But it is the backdrop for this notion: Idaho is seeing a sharp decline in the number of new police recruits, in part, because it's easier than ever to smoke pot legally. 

Mike Masterson's office is almost stripped bare as he puts 10 years of papers into boxes on the floor. Boise’s Police Chief is retiring after 38 years on the force.