An ordinance proposed by the city of Boise to dissolve its current Office of Police Oversight in favor of a new model will also remove the oversight office’s ability to initiate investigations of citizen complaints on its own, raising concerns about the decision’s potential fallout in communities where trust in police is already low.
The proposed ordinance will require all citizen complaints received by the new Office of Police Accountability to be forwarded directly to Internal Affairs at the Boise Police Department for investigation, according to a copy of the draft ordinance filed April 15. Experts say this undermines the independence of the office and will likely deter people who don’t feel comfortable working with the police from participating in the complaint process.
Boise Police investigating sexual misconduct allegation against Idaho House member Hayat Norimine, The Idaho Statesman
Apr. 20 The Boise Police Department on Monday told the Idaho Statesman it is investigating an allegation of sexual misconduct against an Idaho House Republican.
Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger, R-Lewiston, was accused of sexual misconduct by a woman he described as an adult volunteer on the legislative staff. A panel of House members found probable cause in an ethics complaint of inappropriate sexual conduct submitted by House Republican leaders last month. Von Ehlinger has denied the allegation.
Haley Williams, spokesperson for BPD, told the Statesman on Monday that BPD has an open investigation into these allegations. Williams said BPD began the investigation in March.
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