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Dog Attack




A message from Chief Mark McBride:

To start off, I’d like to say that in any occasion the last thing an officer wants to use is his gun. But, in those quick moments when that officer must protect themselves and others, lethal force is sometimes the only choice.

Officers are trained to always think ‘Safety First’. We want our officers to go home each night safe and unharmed. We also want our community to be safe and protected.

Yesterday, the IFPD chose to share the sad news of an officer killing an aggressive dog while attempting to serve an arrest warrant on Monday night.  As a department we want to be as transparent as possible with the community. We realize that sometimes that commitment comes with scrutiny as people don’t always understand the choices or decisions made by officers.

 Which is why we’ve decided to share the video of Monday’s incident. Hopefully, this will answer any lingering questions you may have about the incident.

As you watch the video, keep in mind that the officer that shot and the other officer also on scene said the dog was barking and growling as it aggressively charged toward the officer. Witnesses also confirmed the behavior of the dog. 

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American Spirit

Harvey "Ed" Gord stands center as his great-granddaughter reads a special tribute.


 
By Joelyn Hansen
 
 
When we hired Harvey Gord last year to work part-time at the police department it was a sad moment for the Citizen's Watch Patrol. He was the backbone and really stirred people to action, plus he did a lot of things for the program to keep it going.
 
 
The CWP has a lot of admiration and appreciation for this man, who by the way is 78 years old, for all that he contributed to not only the CWP but to them personally too. So, it was only fitting that we honor Harvey with one of the highest awards any volunteer can receive.
 
 
Last night, we presented Harvey with the President's Call to Service Award. An award issued through the White House to individuals that volunteer more than 4,000 hours in their lifetime.

To give you a breakdown, 4,000 hours is equal to:

·         166 24-hour days

·         500 8-hour work days

·         1.9 years of 8-hour work

·         Under the volunteer/wage calculations, the cost savings to city is $256,280

Harvey not only met the minimum 4,000 hour requirement, but he actually doubled it and donated more than 8,000 hours to the Citizen’s Watch Patrol. He truly is a great example of the American spirit.

It is with sincere gratitude that we present this President’s Call to Service Award pin and certificate to Harvey Gord. Thank you so much for your gift to the city.

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Hooray for Volunteers!




By Joelyn Hansen
Last night I was reminded of how much I love my job. I had the great pleasure to honor some very deserving folks for their volunteer time.
I even managed to keep it a surprise about their awards!
In 2012, the CWP volunteered approximately 1500 hours of time to the community and the department as they assisted with abandoned vehicles, graffiti abatement, special events, vacation watches, patrols and other various miscellaneous assignments.
Based on a special formula, that equates to about $100,000 in savings to the city of Idaho Falls in 2012.
This year, the IFPD began participating in the United States President’s Volunteer Service Award program. This program, which began in 2003, recognizes the valuable contributions volunteers are making in our communities and encourage more people to serve.

Volunteer hours are tracked and volunteers are recognized at different levels of service based on their volunteer hours.
For the year 2012, the CWP members, Broc Humpherys, Glen Riddle, Steve Cannon, Sherri Barnes, Hal Rapp and Phil Bowyer, reached the Bronze level status for contributing more than a 100 hours of service.
Though, they did not meet the requirements of the Bronze level in 2012, we’d also recognize Judith Vincent, Elizabeth Taualii, Rea Winterbottom, Abe Winterbottom, Robert Siedelmann, Blaine McCord and Chris Mickelsen for the valuable time they contributed.
This group really works as a team and I'm clearly biased, but they are the best volunteers anyone could ever work with! I'm honored to work with them!

 

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Cow Jumping



By Joelyn Hansen

The old nursery rhyme says the cow jumped over the moon. But, in our police tale, the cow jumped over the patrol car.

A loose cow in town proved to be more than what the officers expected as this bovine managed to lead officers through the alleys and streets of town for quite some time before they finally captured it across from the YMCA.

This isn't the first cow in town and probably won't be the last. But, we definitely need to provide our officers with more training in corralling livestock!

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