Rigby Police Chief Larry Anderson is retiring after 42 years of service.  The amazing part is that he was chief for 34 of those years.  That has to be some kind of record - especially since the average tenure of a police chief is less than three years. When Larry first started in Aug of 1969, the chief handed him a gun and a badge and then left town for the week.  That was the

Five incidents will likely be remembered as the “top” IFPD news stories for 2011. 1.       March 22: The Idaho Falls Police Department began investigating the homicide of Anthony K. Camp who was shot and killed while fleeing from another vehicle pursuing him and his passenger. Four days later Geoffrey S. Elawadly was taken into custody for second-degree murder and two

Currently, anyone can park a motorhome or trailer on the street provided it’s moved within 48 hours.  Problem is some people circumvent the intent of the law by driving it around the block or pulling ahead a few feet.Tonight, the City Council will consider an ordinance preventing these people from using city streets for storage of recreational vehicles and trailers.  If the proposed

Last summer, we investigated four cases involving door-to-door salesman behaving badly – very badly.  One was arrested for burglary and two others for sexual assault.  All of them were from out of town and most had criminal records.This is one of those ordinances that has a lot more complexity than meets the eye because of first amendment issues.  I blogged on that a few months ago. 

Ken joined the Idaho Falls Police Department Jan 11, 1982, a week after I did.  Yeah, we’re old.Ken's 30-years as a police officer certainly didn't leave him without stories to tell.  He was shot in the abdomen responding to a robbery in 1985.  He was one of the first officers that had the wisdom to wear a protective vest.  At that time, we had to buy our own.  It made a

By Joelyn Hansen Perceptions of police officers are not always positive. Officers are often called upon to make tough decisions that ultimately change the path of whom they interact with. Sometimes those decisions result in someone being taken to jail or children being taken from a home. In the bigger picture, police are trying to protect society and the individuals directly involved. But, on

Ever have mixed feelings about technology?  What’s that saying about mixed feelings – “seeing your mother-in-law drive over a cliff in your brand new Mercedes”?  This time, for the IFPD, technology paid off nicely with some reoccuring burglaries.  Unlike Hollywood, technology doesn’t solve cases, but it helps.  Flowers at the Falls was hit three times over the past four months. 

Trust strikes at the heart of why our constitutional form of government works.  If people have a general trust for the legal system, police in particular, they are more likely to follow the law.  In fact, the reason we can police with so few officers is that the majority of citizens are moral and trust us. Former U.S. President John Adams once wrote, “Our Constitution was made only for a

Click the link from our website to check out the crime in your neighborhood.  It will give you a pin map of crimes reported to the police. What’s really cool is that you can customize it to your neighborhood.  You can track crimes by category, day of the week, and proximity to your house.  You can even receive email alerts. Crime Mapping is updated every 24 hours.  While we chose

As I watch police respond to public protest – most recently, Occupy Wall Street - it’s a good time to review our policing methods and how they apply to crowd control.  This isn’t Syria and our job isn’t to protect the government. Basically, we apply the same concepts we use in other police situations from domestic violence to traffic stops with one significant difference.  We need to

While I was stuffing myself with turkey last week, Bonneville County Prosecutor Bruce Pickett competed in an Iron Man contest for the second time.  Isn’t there an IQ test involved in getting into law school?  All I can say is Wow!  The Triathlon was a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike race, and a 26.2 mile run – all in less than 17 hours or they drag you out of the race. I think

This is how it is supposed to work and demonstrates why it is vital that the community work together to solve crime problems.  A special thanks to the news media and Kris Johnson.Last week, three robberies occurred at KJ Phillips 66 at 495 W 17th, Speedi Mart at 415 E Anderson, and the Chevron on Woodruff & North Yellowstone.  In all three robberies, a knife was used and the clerks

Drug arrests are up, but does that mean drug use is up?  Not necessarily.Unlike most crimes reported to the police, drug crimes typically don’t have a victim.  Drug arrests are usually made one of two ways: an undercover investigation or through the actions of an alert patrol officer that is already interacting with the suspect for another reason, such as a traffic violation.Some months

[Newest addition to the IFPD Sage Albright flanked by Captain McBride on the left and Mayor Fuhriman on the right]  Shelley native Sage Albright was sworn in Thursday afternoon which will bring us back up to full strength.  “Idaho Falls is the hub of our community and I want to make it a better place,” Albright said prior to his swearing in as a police officer. As the oldest of four

Evidence and Property Clerk, Mickey Callow, passed away Saturday from cancer. “Mickey was a hero and inspiration to many here at the police department,” Capt. Mark McBride said.  “She fought valiantly through the struggles of cancer.  I admired her for her courage and tenacity.” Mickey hired on with the IFPD in November 2005. She is remembered for her dedication, professionalism

If you asked me when I was in high school, why some countries are poor and some are rich, I’d probably have mumbled something about natural resources.  If you asked the same question while I was in college, I would have replied, “A freedom-oriented economic system.”  Ask me now and I’d add the importance of the Rule of Law. In a nutshell, Rule of Law ensures that those who happen to have

I would NEVER publicly embarrass anyone, especially the friends I work with and respect… well almost never.Check out the video out-takes of Sergeant Dave Frei and Joelyn Hansen who worked hard on a Public Service Announcement in an attempt to get people to keep their sidewalks clear of snow and cars. Dave, I feel your pa

By Joelyn HansenI work in an environment surrounded by people that have dedicated their life’s career to service. As police officers, these men and women, risk their lives each time they step out their front door in uniform in order for me to partake in the freedoms and comforts I’ve grown accustomed to my whole life. It’s a good reminder – everyday – that freedom comes at a cost and there is always

The first time I eyed the Grand Teton, my quick assessment from the east showed the logic of climbing it via Disappointment Peak.  Guess what?  There’s a reason it’s called Disappointment Peak.  Legend has it that it got its name when a couple climbers made an attempt on the Grand Teton only to find themselves on a false summit, facing a 450-foot sheer drop.  Aside from a really

Tomorrow, Wednesday Nov. 9 at noon, will be the first nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System.  It will involve radio and television and last up to 3 ½ minutes.  You should hear a message indicating it is just a test, but don’t panic if you don’t. By the way, experts recommend being prepared for an emergency evacuation with food, water, and shelter for a couple days.  Are you

This photo is one of our Citizen's Watch Patrol cars.  Someone plowed into it while they were set up on traffic control at a crime scene.  Fortunately, no one was hurt. Many thanks for their time and service.  They save the city a bundle.  Besides that, they're a lot of fun to be arou

It’s funny how arrests made in drug busts and assaults quickly fade from news headlines, but stories of illegal prostitution are talked about for days.This past weekend, our patrol officers made four arrests for the solicitation of prostitutes at a local motel.  It all started when officers came into contact with two Boise women during a traffic stop that were in town selling sex through

Ever get the feeling that the decisions at City Council meetings have already been made prior to the meeting?  While the final decisions aren’t made until the Thursday night City Council meetings, there is often considerable discussion and sometimes a consensus reached in prior meetings.  This is usually done through either a committee meeting or a council work session.For police issues

I’ve taken a little heat for releasing the 911 recording for the October 14 shooting.  Just so you know, I really didn’t have a choice.  The public records law has accompanying court rulings that narrowly define the exceptions on the requirement to release information.  The main three exceptions that may have applied in this case are:1.      Interfere with enforcement

Rexburg PD Facebooked a great video on officer involved shootings from Oregon.  It addresses some common myths and shows some of the differences between Hollywood and real life.  Take 17 minutes and watch

Pocatello Chief JR Miller resigned Wednesday night to return to an investigative arm of the Florida Governor’s office.  JR was appointed Pocatello's Police Chief a few months before I came on board as Idaho Falls Chief - a little more than four years ago. Did you know that the average tenure of a police chief is less than three years?  It's a tough

Friday, we had another officer involved shooting – the third in less than a year.  While national statistics are not kept, this is certainly unusual for Idaho Falls. This incident will be investigated by outside agencies as were the other two.  Preliminary information indicates that the officers' actions likely saved lives, but we need to wait for a complete investigation. 

There are a million different kinds of scams, but this one illustrates a common theme.  We arrested 26-year-old Jonathan M. Meng yesterday for the sale of a Harley Davidson that doesn’t exist. The Ohio victim contacted us after he tried to purchase a motorcycle for $8,866 on eBay earlier in the month.  The Idaho Falls seller initially instructed him to wire the money to a bank account held

The prolific Seattle superhero, known as Phoenix Jones, made news headlines throughout the west this week. Not because he saved the residents of the Emerald City from dirt bags or the like, but because police arrested him for assaulting several people with pepper spray in attempts to bust up an alleged fight. It’s an amusing story. I’m actually torn on whether to admire the guy for his tenacity

Stephanie posed a great solution to illegally parked cars.  Think I can get the City Council to sign off on it?  I'm sure Mayor Fuhriman would enjoy driving. 

The final numbers are in for 2010 crimes.  In a nutshell, we’re much lower than the national average for cities our size.  We’re higher in rapes and aggravated assaults, but lower in everything else – especially robbery and auto theft. Notice this doesn’t include drug crimes.  That’s because they aren't tracked the same way.  Practically all reported drug crimes are

[Officer Kent Hoskins talks to a group about his car and equipment during a police station tour]   You can’t be a police officer very long before a parent will ask you to “scare their kid.”  That’s a bad idea.  I love DARE Officer Kevin Pettingill’s description of a youngster’s first interaction with the police when Dad yells, “Get down, there’s a cop!” if they aren’t buckled

No mayhem here, at least not within the past 700 years.  Our investigation into a mummified hand is closed following testing by a physical anthropologist from the Utah Division of State History Antiquities Division dating it anywhere from 700 to 1,000 years old. We started our investigation in March after the Museum of Idaho turned it over to us. Museum officials received the mummified hand from

Graffiti cases are down this year compared to the same period last year.  It helps that volunteers clean it up quickly after it is spotted.  According to the broken window theory, keeping graffiti cleaned up helps prevent more graffiti and more serious crime.You can report graffiti by calling our volunteer coordinator, Joelyn, at 612-8655 or you can report it online at our website.The problem