BOISE, Idaho — As the City of Boise searches for a new chief of police, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean spoke with KTVB about her thoughts on the search and moving forward with the department. McLean said the city is in the early stages of the search.
“I believe in all the conversations that we've had, my team has had with the department, that there's a lot we need to do to support our officers because policing right now is difficult. Our city's growing. There's so many expectations on our officers," McLean said. "So, as the leader of the city, as we think about what's next with the search, one of the key tenets of the search is going to be to ensure we have a leader that can support our officers and really believes in the way that we do policing here and that's policing the Boise the way."
The mayor is now working alongside interim chief and longtime Boise Police officer Ron Winegar as they transition to finding a new chief.
“I really appreciate that Interim Chief Ron Winegar has agreed to serve alongside and in partnership with Deputy Chief Brooks to help us address the needs of the department so we can really support our officers. You know, tough times, challenges create opportunities. So, now we have the opportunity to truly understand what our officers need to continue to be doing to do the great job that they've always done,” McLean said. “How we invest in and support a department as our city grows, and then how we find the right leader that can both work with the department to support them, that believes in policing the Boise we do it. That can be a partner to council to ensure that we continue to increase investment in our police department as our city grows.”
So, what type of leader is McLean and the Boise City Council looking for?
“I am looking for a leader and I should say I'm looking for a leader in partnership with both the city council and the community and the department. We will all work together to find the next leader for the Boise Police Department that understands how important policing the Boise way is, and policing the Boise way is grounded in what we've always done and which has always kept our community safe,” McLean said. “It's both ensuring that officers have time to forge deep connections with our residents and holding people accountable when they commit crimes and so in order to meet the demands of the moment as our city grows to increase investment in policing, as I've done for the last three years, we're going to need a leader that's committed to the connections that we cherish here. Our community, that's committed to the connections that our officers cherish with our community, and that has the skills to help us continue to increase our investments and officers in training and the tools and support this department needs to be successful.”
It is always natural for these types of conversations, searching for a city leader, to become a classic question, should the new Chief be an insider or an outsider?
“I am seeking the best leader for this department and for our community, and I believe at the end of the day, that is what everyone is searching for," McLean said. "Yes, there's a lot of opinions on that, but I believe that if we do the search right, if we engage our officers and include what it is they need in a leader, we engage the public and have a conversation about the safety of our community, the priority that we have to maintain, the safety of our community and how that means that we have to invest with a commitment and an understanding of the importance of connection that leader will rise through this process. Internal or external, what's most important is that this person leads our department and community and policing the Boise way."
McLean is well aware of negative and positive takes on the situation, she said one thing is very clear: the people of Boise care greatly about the topic and moving forward.
“Public safety is the highest priority for all of us and so the support that we provide our officers, the leadership of the department matters, and I want that to matter. Right? Like, I expect it to matter. I'd want it to matter for the community and we share the value of public safety, the value of supporting our officers, the value of knowing our officers, seeing them in community," McLean said. "So, as we look ahead to the next leader of this department, you know, that value that Boise places on public safety, the trust Boiseans have in our police department is of utmost importance as our city grows. We've got to make sure that we maintain that by finding the right leader, supporting our officers who protect and serve on a daily basis, and investing in them in the future."
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