BOISE -- Boise Police Chief William Bones announced Wednesday that his department is moving forward with plans to create a new micro-district in downtown Boise.
"It only makes sense that we would tailor the police service we provide to the needs of that area," said Bones. "And that's what the micro-district is all about."
Opening a micro-district is part of the department's 10-year strategic plan, according to Bones. The downtown micro-district will open in September and include two initial locations: Boise City Hall and 1025 South Capitol Boulevard.
"In the downtown micro-district, officers will interact and work with the thousands of people who live, work and visit our downtown each day," said Bones. "We're excited to start working even more closely with our downtown neighborhood."
The 20 to 25 officers assigned to the downtown micro-district will patrol a large area, which includes Broadway Avenue to the east, north to Fort and 16th streets, west to Main Street and include Kathryn Albertson, Ann Morrison and Julia Davis parks, Boise State University and the Lusk Street area neighborhood to the south.
Bones expects more districts to open in the future.
"Long term we absolutely want to move to geographically and district policing across the city," said Bones. "It'll be done incrementally and in steps and this is the first phase, but eventually we'll see three to five districts across the city."
Officers assigned to the downtown micro-district will come from the existing officer base, including officers from the Patrol and Criminal Investigation Divisions, the bike, traffic, and school resource officer units.
A spokesperson for Boise police says at this time there are no costs associated with the opening of the downtown micro-district, as the department is utilizing existing city space and personnel.
