CCDC
Drinkin’, Fightin’, Smokin’ and Uber Problems
October 6, 2016 
We got a “please play nice” press release from Boise coppers and based on their own numbers it seems that smoking, drinking and Uber cars are keeping them in business in the “vibrant downtown” of what we seek to be the “most livable city in America.”
We have previously noted that about 25% of ALL calls for police service are in the downtown area…much of which pays little or no revenue to the city of Boise because most of the taxes are diverted to the CCDC urban renewal agency.
Here is what the coppers have to say:
Downtown reminders… Officers ask everyone to respect others and enjoy responsibly
Boise Police Micro District officers have received several comments of concern from members of the Downtown public in the past few weeks. As a result, officers would like to remind folks of a few things to remember when enjoying the exciting resource that is the Boise Downtown area on weekends:
– Pedestrians should always remember to use crosswalks when walking around the Downtown area. Jaywalking can be dangerous to pedestrians when traffic is present, and it is also a citable offense.
– Many concerns have been received regarding disorderly conduct or people intoxicated in public. Officers ask people to enjoy Downtown responsibly and respect others so that everyone may have a good time.
– Taxi drivers are asked to use the specific designated lanes when waiting to pick up fares. Impeding traffic in a non-designated lane is a citable offense.
– Reports have indicated that some Uber drivers may be impeding traffic, using taxi lanes to pick up fares, or using parking stalls on Main Street to conduct business, all of which are citable offenses. Uber drivers are asked to conduct their business in private parking lots.
– Smoking on 8th Street is not allowed per City Ordinance. Those who smoke are asked to not on 8th Street, and officers remind that it is a citable offense.
Officers ask that all be respectful of others while enjoying Downtown Boise, and please be aware of these reminders.
To insure more advertising-free Boise Guardian news, please consider financial support.
Comments & Discussion
Comments are closed for this post.
Oct 6, 2016, 3:55 pm
Wow! A not-so-thinly-veiled threat to cite in four of five “reminders.” Do the downtown coppers have any problems other than those “with subject?” And has this department issued a single well-written press release since Lynn Hightower left?
Online article today (and now I can’t find it – of course) listed Boise as the 6th most livable city in America and the 14th most popular among cities people are moving to (net in migration rate 4.55%).
I think it’s time for me to leave and make a little room for some other folks.
EDITOR NOTE–No doubt you can find someone downtown to offer a toast and drink to that! 🙂
Oct 6, 2016, 5:45 pm
Does every city dept have/need a public information flack? Lynn Hightower used to be assigned to both the police and fire depts; now they split the job. And as Muck Raker says, who is the BPD flacker?
Sad…
Oct 6, 2016, 7:46 pm
And the sidewalks stink on Monday, too.
Oct 7, 2016, 9:15 am
Since for whatever reason smoking is not allowed on 8th street????? I will do my due diligence and call the police and encourage other bystanders to also call the police anytime anybody is smoking outside the bars on 8th street. Because if city council wants to make asinine laws. Lets help enforce them.
EDITOR NOTE–We haven’t seen the ordinance, but it is a fact that 8th street between Bannock and Main has been “vacated” and is owned wall-to-wall by the CCDC which is NOT a government agency. It would seem that any action taken there would be on “private property.”
Oct 7, 2016, 9:36 am
Local, State, and Federal governments are very much complicit in this. What are the tax revenues from alcohol sales and all related to it. The drunks empty their pockets so quickly too.
As far as CCDC and similar groups controlling large areas of real estate. That’s called a mafia operation. Government entanglement and cooperation with it is called corruption.
Oct 7, 2016, 10:29 am
FWiW, I saw an uber driver drop off a fare by stopping in the travel lane of Main St between 9th and 10th. This was when it one lane and Main had a green light. Without a single care, this selfish driver hung up a dozen behind him.
How do I know it was uber? I yelled a few expletives at the guy that got out of the car. A few words later he admitted it was his uber driver. To make matters worse, Uber makes it impossible to make a complaint.
One the one hand I’m glad we don’t have a heavy handed police presence for minor stuff, but how far do you let it go? Every single trip I make through downtown I see….
Texting drivers
red light runners
Straight exhaust bikes and cars
jaywalkers
fresh graffiti
dogs off leash
Regarding 8th St, the street signs are blue. 8th is a private street. I’m mostly in favor of this because it gives police power to remove the bums.
Oct 7, 2016, 9:57 pm
So how many of the “problem people” in Boise are going to get this press release and change their behavior?
We are going to need to hire 10 people to track all the data to see if they do their job.
Good thing we pay someone to create these press releases.
Oct 8, 2016, 3:40 pm
Given that the vast majority of the calls are related to liquor, fighting and battery it appears that the downtown cops are basically bar control.
Given the report I see no reason to go downtown given the high probability that fighting and drinking are the norm….if you average the numbers about 50 a week and likely most on the weekend.
Great reason to not live downtown as well.
Oct 10, 2016, 1:20 pm
I almost got T boned by a red light runner a couple weeks ago. But I feel better knowing that the guy likely wasn’t J walking or smoking on 8th St. Well done BPD. I should have realized that if it doesn’t happen downtown, it’s not worth enforcing.