BOISE, Idaho — Replying to statements from the firm investigating Boise Police Department (BPD) that there was no widespread racism found within the department, the Boise Police Union Local 486 issued some statements of their own, aligning that they knew it wasn't an issue.
"The Boise Police IBPO Union Local 486 was confident that Mayor McLean and the Boise City Council’s investigation by an outside agency into white supremacist views in the department would show that this ideology is not a part of our department fabric," the union stated.
The union furthered that they believe the department works hard to keep those kinds of beliefs out and that they thought the investigation should have that the investigation should have started with the Office of Professional Accountability.
"The Mayor and the City Council should know now, based on their outside investigation, that the people of Boise not only 'deserve better' as the Mayor lamented, but that the people HAVE better in their police department," the union stated.
The Washington D.C. firm, Steptoe & Johnson began investigating the Boise Police Department at the request of Boise Mayor Lauren McLean, after a former BPD officer was exposed making racist comments online. The firm did say that there was no evidence of widespread racism, the firm also said that there were concerns about racism that they weren't able to investigate due to the lack of funds provided by the city.
As KTVB previously reported, an attorney with the firm, Michael Bromwich, stated that the findings were very much "preliminary" and that he viewed them with "very low confidence." Additionally, that there are concerns with the hiring process within the department, meaning that almost no one who applied had flunked out of the program, something that contradicts the numbers that other police departments have throughout the country.
Bromwich said that nobody has failed out of the Boise Police Academy in the last 10 years, possibly creating a "club-like" culture where everyone succeeds.
The union also addressed this concern, stating that it has always been concerned and outspoken about the lowered hiring standards.
"...We have been proponents of increased and “rigorous” training standards, as well as an overhaul of the promotional practices at the department," the union stated.
The investigation ended when the firm asked for more money from the city after an initial investment of $500,000, the city also approved an additional $150,000 but that went towards paying the firm for work that was already completed.
To continue the investigation, McLean could ask the city council to approve more money to use in the investigation, something she has not done. If she doesn't ask for more money, the investigation will not continue and the other issues the firm alluded to will not be investigated.
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