Comments on: Former BPD Chief’s Ideas Could Include Police Commission

By: Caeth

Caeth — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 16:46:17 +0000

Concerned Neighbor: Numerous Municipalities within the County contract with the Ada Co. Sheriff for police services. Why not Boise City? Structures, practices, procedures and precedence are already in place. Little needs to change other than supervisory jurisdiction. That would give you your elected official directly answerable to the public at election time, or more often by recall.

By: PD

PD — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 04:56:57 +0000

I dislike it when authors make absolute claims that are obviously false. Absolutes are usually not accurate.

“The police ARE the MOST visible symbols of government.”
No they are not. Not in my life. I go days without seeing cops. Roads. Toilets. Water. Buses. Those are EVERY DAY and the most visible. What the cops usually ARE, is the most obtrusive, and dangerous symbol of government. Other agencies do not have the ability to kill you and ‘get away with it’, take your property, or take your personal freedom falsely.

“the police chief, who is not an elected official,” Well in some cities they ARE elected. Mississippi for example has some elected Police Chiefs. So a co-authored retirement piece. It loses my trust at “national reputation” — right, maybe for the SGT NICKEL incident. That was fubar and the top cop should take the hit for it. A lucky break for the chief and certainly huge luck for George that BPD can’t shoot worth a damn.

From some another police journal: “The biggest obstacles to having an elected police chief are government officials and police oversight boards.” Can’t have your cake and eat it too when you got yer HANDS UP!

By: Concerned Neighbor

Concerned Neighbor — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 02:32:28 +0000

A commission and uneducated oversite has nothing to do with what Masterson wrote. What he discussed is an honest 2-way dialog between the BPD Chief and Mayor – a large reason why the past 2 mayors don’t like him… they want someone to order around and follow their politics.

I wish Masterson was back – Boise would be far safer, BPD would be much more effective, and our tax money spent far better. Maybe the BPD needs to be an elected official out of under the thumb of mayors.