Comments on: Inside Cop Union, City Negotiations

By: Murphy for Mayor

Murphy for Mayor — Wed, 02 May 2007 03:11:41 +0000

Thank you Jim for your excellent suggestion and insight. I will contact the BPD about that ride-along.

By: Jim

Jim — Tue, 01 May 2007 18:46:39 +0000

Murphy, you should take a ride along with the Boise Police to see what it is all about. You are so mis-informed. Everything is about money. The Boise Police Crime lab is a joke, why, because the city does not want to spend the money.

You talk about dash camera’s. The city does not want to spend the money. Lets talk about proactive policing…. The city does not want to spend the money. There is no excuse for the way things are going in this city. Our homicides for the year just hit 7 I do believe. The year is not even half over! We are sliding backwards when it comes to proactive policing and have become a political entity that is not forward looking at all.

The citizens of Boise deserve the best when it comes to their police department, however, what team Dave says and what they actually do are two different things. They are shortchanging you!

By: Murphy for Mayor

Murphy for Mayor — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 17:10:06 +0000

My Dearest Mr. Nottingham: “…recently came.”? I settled here 13 years ago in ’94, after having put in 3+ prior Fire Seasons in this neck of the woods. Once again, I may indeed have some minutiae incorrect, but I am very comfortable with my level of information (having been garnered from multiple reporting/official outlets and first-hand accounts). As for entertaining… You’re probably correct. Though I do d a mean Frank Sinatra in the shower.

By: Fred Notingham

Fred Notingham — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 14:09:34 +0000

Mr. Murphy: PULLEEZE go back to California from where you recently came. You are neither entertaining nor informed.

By: Mr. Logic

Mr. Logic — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 22:18:09 +0000

Here it is Wednesday and both the Daily Paper and Channel 7 are chasing a five day old GUARDIAN story about the police union and the city council letter. The G man is the only one to publish the letter as well as 29 reader comments on the topic. Where o where is the mainstream media? G man, you are also the only one to give us three sides of the community college issue and public debate.

By: tnt

tnt — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 16:23:00 +0000

The officers need a large pay raise. How many jobs do you know that require a bullet proof vest and a gun. Do you think someone at Micron will risk their live to save you? Well police officers are required to this as part of their job. Every day they deal with the scum of the earth just to keep the public safe. Also, in-car camera’s only work if you are standing infornt of the car (IE- on a traffic stop). 90% of the officers job is away from the car, that is why they have belt recorders.

By: Murphy for Mayor

Murphy for Mayor — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 12:59:03 +0000

If I may…
Deprioritization is NOT legalization, nor is it decriminalization. Regardless, the very real enemy that is meth should be a much larger blip on our screen.

My numbers may be off, but are not wrong.
And I refer you to a recent Channel 7 piece regarding dash-cam use by area law enforcement.
It saddens me deeply to see the disdain some have for wanting to exert supreme control over those who hold such tremendous sway in our lives.

Yes, you are absolutely correct. “Politicians with small armies” is a frightening thought. Unfortunately, we already have politicians with small armies! Armed, and otherwise. Ours here in Boise are no longer answerable to the people. And look where that’s gotten us so far.
But that’s beside the point. The central theme to my candidacy is the highest degree of professionalism and accountability in city government, beginning with a shift to the City Administrator style of government.
After that… Enthusiastic plagiarism!

The Best Boise possible being the goal, I stand ready to eat crow when shown a better way to resolve any issue or tackle any challenge. Some of my proposals are very merit worthy, where others are not.

Just as some of the commentary on these pages is full of merit…
As for my personal feelings regarding law enforcement and the BPD?
I grew up with great respect for all members of law enforcement, and even learned how to box in the NYPD -PAL as a kid. I have had the privilege and good fortune to have worked alongside law enforcement both as a Commercial Diver and Medic, and have met a number of very cool cops across America, around the world, and right here in Boise.

And without a doubt, the BPD is home to a great number of dedicated, honorable, even heroic Peace Officers. It is my contention that as a bureaucracy, as an institution, it is adrift and arrogant.
Commentary on these pages notwithstanding, I find that I am by no means alone in this sentiment. Both among my fellow citizens, and even a good number of the BPD’s contemporaries.
Thank you.

By: joe blow

joe blow — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 12:12:38 +0000

As a former City employee. I am tired of hearing how the Police and Fire Departmetns get different and seperate deals from the rest of the City staff. Several years ago, when all the general staff, got no salary increase, the police and fire did.

The reason: the unions and the very real fact that a City must have a balanced budget. Whoever said a business approach to governmental spending is inappropriate, apparently liked to be highly taxed.

I applaud the City’s efforts to control their costs while also giving not only decent, but best in the state wages to their officers while also giving an unbelieveable health care package. Did anybody look at the details of what the officers have to pay. I pay at least 10 times that and know of no one else that has even close to this good of a package for the price paid by employees.

By: Gordon

Gordon — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 05:28:46 +0000

L.J. said, “ISP stays mainly on the highway ….”

Yeah, most of the time — but the ISP officers do slip off the highways once in a while to sit around watching bikini dancers. And sometimes they get real busy worrying about folks who sip wine while looking at art, watching a movie or sitting in a sidewalk cafe.

Or were all those dancers and wine drinkers really out on the highways?

By: Joe Moran

Joe Moran — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 22:13:21 +0000

I see this letter as an attempt by the Mayor to circumvent the Police Union representation . The Mayor is actually just showing his true colors. He has no respect for the legal representative of the BPD or the BPD himself. He wants to control the whole show. He has been doing the same thing to the people of boise for years. He refuses to provide them with the basic services the citizens needs ( Real Bus service, a de-tox center, more city services for low-income individuals.) Meanwhile he has helped ensure that a bureaucracy that is doing the job he and council were elected to do is rolling in tax payer money! P. Kushlan is making more money than most elected officials as CCDC fattens itself off of projects like the massive ” hole in the ground” at Main and 8’th!