Bonneville County Sheriff Election

Every and I mean EVERY tool or hands on technique the police use is based on the theory of pain compliance.

The idea of hitting someone with a baton is cause them enough pain that they don’t want to get hit again.

The idea of using an arm bar is to cause enough pain in the arm that you’ll give up to stop it from being twisted.

Same with pepper spray.

Even a gun is pain compliance.

Tasers are just another tool only they work much better and usually work the first time. You can hit someone twenty times with a baton and not get much effect.

Furthermore injuries to officers and suspects have decreased dramatically where tasers have been implemented. And thats because tasers work about 99.9% of the time when applied properly (a missed shot with a taser obviously doesn’t work). Other tools have a success rate of about 10-15% and nearly always end up with officers physically fighting with suspect and one or the other usually ends up hurt.

Also, there has not been one single death nationwide attributed to the taser. People are ASSUMING causality when a suspect who later dies was tasered. But the autopsies have failed to link a single one to tasers. And in almost all cases the person who died is found to be massively high on drugs and died of a drug overdose which medically is called excited delirium. You could just as credibly argue that the person died because they breathed air that night, because they ate food, because they drank water, as you can that they died because a taser was used. Tasers are just a coincidental thing that happened to them before they died. Someone may cite the Canadian airport case where an unruly passenger died after being tasered. There is a video but you’ll notice that if you watch the video that the mounties accidentally smother the guy to death. You can even hear the guy taking the video talking about how the tasered man can’t breathe and is being smothered.

Basically my feeling if you can’t tell is that if Wilde is arguing for a relaxed use of tasers then I applaud him for putting the safety of the both the suspects and officers first.

In the Chatbox today Guest 2858 provided a useful link here: http://www.co.bonneville.id.us/elections/Sample_Ballot.pdf a sample ballot laying out who is running.

Also, for those interested, here is a news report of Paul Wilde running for Sheriff: http://www.kpvi.com/Global/story.asp?S=7964384

It appears the only person opposing Wilde is Terry Kerr for the primaries. The local PR recently ran a story titled “Race issues the crux of candidate’s campaign.” The story says Kerr “is a retired father of two who is married to a black woman.” and that the reason he is running for Sherrif is because of race descrimination against his family. The artlicle also states Kerr doesn’t think he’ll win, nor does he want to be sheriff. He said he’d ask his cousin from Montan to run the department if he wins.

The winner between the two of them will be running against Democratic candidate Laun Cook. Does anyone have any information on Cook?

I would like to ask the Sheriff how he will reform the jail. Why do inmates get so much commisary? They shouldn’t get all the food luxuries they get now….but it pads the Sheriff’s Justice Fund. It would be a trade off, but I think they should also get rid of the Cable TV (they charge inmates for this)….the Sheriff should also charge more for medical services (many inmates have alot of money on the books….they should have to pay for medical services first and nachos and candy bars second, IMO).

I would like the PR to ask Sheriff Wilde if he intends to continue the policies of Stommel in this area. Wilde should take the lead from Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, AZ.

“Personally I think more officers need to be trained in actual “hands on” take down techniques.”

I know you ment it serously, but it made me laugh seeing that next to your screen name. Of course it would be James Bond who would encourage more hand to hand combat training.

I think the physical fitness of the officers should be manditory for the job. And we should be paying our officers than we do as well. If we want top notch officers, we need to pay to recruit and maintain them. “If you’re only willing to pay K-mart prices, you’re probably going to get K-mart quality.” I think we have a good police force overall (you “can” find the officers who are the exception to that). But that can change over time if we don’t ensure our force has good equipment and good pay.

Currently I think the physical fitness depends on the individual. I’ve seen some impressively in-shape officers around town, but there are a few carrying around a spare tire or two. I hope the higher-ups are talking to those not staying in shape. And I hope we are providing adequate physical weight training facilities for the officres as well.

Again I’d challenge anyone to post an article where it shows a death caused by a taser. You won’t find one. What you will find is many articles where someone was tasered and died later that evening. But in EVERY SINGLE ONE of these cases the autopsy found that the person died of other causes, usually a drug overdose. The fact that their adrenaline got going because they were fighting with the police and high on drugs at the same time caused a state caused excited delirium is basically just a fancy term for drug overdose. The fact they got tasered was coincidental and had no more causal effect on their death than their breathing air that night did. What caused their death is they got high on drugs, they fought with police, and their system overloaded on the drugs and adrenaline. There is a whole slew of anti cop literature out there claiming tasers cause death but you’ll see in every one of them they are ASSUMING a causal relationship while ignoring the actual results of the autopsy. They then claim a conspiracy to cover up taser deaths. This conspiracy apparently includes every pathologist who has ever done an autopsy and all the police involved and the code of silence amongst them is apparently extrordinary since they never break ranks.

As to the hands on comment. There will always be people bigger and stronger than you out there. Its ridiculous to expect a 5′10 180 lb cop to go hands on with a 6′4″ 270 lb biker, even if the cop is in shape and the biker is not. Size matters and it matters a lot in fights. And going hands on is risky because hands on techniques do not work on everyone. And injuries to both suspects and officers are massive while using these techniques compared to things like pepper spray and tasers.

Your comment doesn’t really work for me. If you put up two guys who have had this training you are talking about, then what? A fight to the end (like death or severe hurt)? If you and your wife have both had the training, how is it that she can take you down?

And how many times have you heard the terms “excessive force” and “police brutality”? These are usually used when the police have taken someone down by force. For some reason, the public does not look favorably upon the police when someone gets physically hurt.

Don’t sweat it bond…..people would rather dismiss your claims than actually look into to it for themselves to see if it’s valid or not.
I agree though, cops use tasers way too frequently.

http://wcco.com/local/taser.death.minnesota.2.719111.html

Interesting article on the use of tasers by Minnesota State Patrol. A guy died after tasers were deployed. No charges filed. Albeit the guy had some cocaine and prescription drugs in his system. Sad story but tasers should remain in use….but kind of like a bean bag gun, a supervisor should be involved to activate deployment.

“The fact of the matter is most cops these days are too afraid to confront a perp face to face, mainly because they don’t have the confidence or the knowledge to put a person on the ground. They’d rather whip out their taser or baton instead. (or pepper spray which usually ends up blowing into the cops eyes anyways.)”

The REAL Fact of the matter is the officer doesn’t want to get hurt if he doesn’t have to. Here’s a requirement in police work. You have to be at 100 % health. If you get hurt to where you’ll never be at 100 % health then goodbye to your career. If you get a broken arm, or even a sprained ankle, you’re no good on the street until you are healed. How many jobs out there have this requirement? Not too many.

Police brutality is easier to claim by going hands on than it is using a taser. If you have an effective device that will not only keep you from being harmed, but also the person wanting to fight you, then why not use it? The police are trained to be one level above the aggressor. So if someone wants to fight “hands on” then of course they are going to use the taser, baton, or pepper spray. Let’s keep one fact in mind too. None of these devices gets used when a person cooperates.

So how exactly does your super training hold up to people on Meth or PCP? Have you ever fought a person cranked up on these drugs? If so you would know pressure points don’t work. That’s why these two drugs have the nick name of the superman drug. I saw a video from a friend of mine who works for the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office. On the video was male cranked up on Meth. You see the male actually pull a traffic sign out of the ground with the cement still attached to the bottom of it. If I hadn’t of seen this video I would have said yeah right. I doubt your 5’4”, 105, wife would have been able to take that guy on. It took 9 cops just to bring him down.

Also how good is close quarter combat going to be when you’re facing a 6’5” or taller person? Close quarter combat is merely that. You have to factor in the reach of this person. You may not even get a chance of getting close to this person without taking a few hits before you even get close. And that’s saying if you were able to get in close amongst the punches being thrown at you.

Jamison,

First of all I am not a female. Second of all that was not TV I was watching. As previously stated it was from a Canyon County Deputy’s Video Camera. I saw the video that he had recorded from that night. So this was no TV trick.

Obviously Meth can give people more strength than the average person due to the fact the guy pulled the sign right out of the ground. But I’m sure you have a perfectly good explanation for that one don’t you? Also don’t try and tell everyone to get along when you are blatantly accusing people of being “always right”.

How did the topic of the Bonneville County Sheriff election turn into a taser discussion. Find some information on use of force and then use some common sense.

Lets discuss our candidates for Sheriff. Who are these men and what are their qualifications? Does the public of Bonneville County know?

“How did the topic of the Bonneville County Sheriff election turn into a taser discussion.”

It is my understanding that a County Sheriff aides in the guidelines and standards that are used inside a county. As I stated in my first comment (comment #1), personally, I feel this IS an important issue in the sheriff’s race. How better to learn about the candidate than to understand their views on important topics. I feel that tasers are an issue. As such, I took the time to attend a precinct meeting where Wilde was sworn in and took the time to ask his stance on an issue. If you do not like the topic of tasers, great, think it out, research it, and call up the candidates to ask them there stance on the issue of importance to you and post about it here!

Anonymous, in comment # 2, you stated, “Every and I mean EVERY tool or hands on technique the police use is based on the theory of pain compliance.” Article 8 of the Bill of Rights states that no cruel and unusual punishment shall be inflicted. Certainly, there are instances where I too feel a taser is beneficial; however, I have becomed alarmed at the level of increased usage of tasers in what I feel are un-threatening circumstances. A few examples:

1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMaMYL_shxc

In this YouTube video you will see a young father being tasered simply because he disagrees with the officer and refuses to sign a ticket. The father (non-violent) walks away from the officer and gets “tased”. Was this really necessary?

2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqAVvlyVbag

Even if you think the students questions were inappropriate, rude, etc., does it justify tasering? Notice that Kerry’s first response (at about 1:35 seconds) is, “That’s alright, let me answer his question,” yet the officers, pull the student aside and we end up with the now infamous “Don’t tase me bro!”

3) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g7zlJx9u2E

How about this crazy video from UCLA where a man is tasers over and over and over again! Is this really neccessary?

I see instances like the above and I fear that officers in our country are using tasers as a first reaction that I feel constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.

I understand some of you feel that tasers cannot and do not cause death. Are you aware that Taser, Inc. has a huge legal council which has recently won a ruling stating that corinors (sp?) cannot use the terminallagy of “taser” in their autopsy reports? (See: http://www.infowars.com/?p=2022). How about we let the doctors perform their autopsy (sp?) and let a jury decide as the constitution dictates?

This link is an archive of 2004-2005 unusual taser incidents: http://www.infowars.com/subject_archives/ps/tasers_archive.htm

A study by Amnisty Internation on tasers: http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/usa/Taser_report.pdf

Another site with numerous articles and videos regarding tasers: http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/usa/Taser_report.pdf

Obviously, I have my own opinion on law enforcements taser usage. I feel this is an important issue for our Sheriff’s office. Obviously, I would rather a man be tased than shot & killed; but, I fear that tasers are becoming a first result/reaction that can and has let to death in some instances.

Thanks for all the good comments/responses!

I only know Paul Wilde, and that’s good enough for me. That’s how I’m rolling!

lol I hear ya T!
I also think there has been a lot of instances where tasers have been used unnecessarily. Remember that college kid who was trying to ask one of the candidates a question and the cops tasered him? I mean C’mon! That was not even called for. Point i’m trying to make is, instances like this one happen all too often imo.

(just to clarify for crystal and others who like to bash my comments: sorry if I don’t know the gentlemans name, date of birth, location of incident and what date it happened….I’m merely stating my opinion)

for entertainment purposes only.
Side effects to include but not limited to, rash, skin irritation, upset stomach, rectal itching, blurry vision, lupus, chocolate consumption or a sudden urge to gamble, sensitivity to light, sensitivity to sound, fear of hamsters, extreme dry mouth, incontinence, dry feet, wet knees, and dizziness. Please do not operate machinery while reading my comments.)
that should about cover it!

“Don’t taze me bro!”

This is a sad example in America today of how someone violates someone else’s rights and then claims police brutality when the police step in and they resist arrest.

The guy obviously went there to cause a scene. He even took his own video camera which he handed off for someone to record for him so he could get his moment of fame on tape.

Wikipedia has a pretty detailed report on what happened. It says:

“it was announced by former Ambassador Dennis Jett, a University of Florida political science instructor and the forum’s moderator,[9] that one more question would be taken from the microphone on the right as seen from the stage. Meyer then grabbed the second microphone, on the left, which had been shut off, and loudly demanded he be allowed to ask a question. Meyer reportedly yelled, “Why don’t you answer my questions, I have been waiting and listening to you speak in circles for the last two hours.” “These officers are going to arrest me”, “You will take my question because I have been listening to your crap for two hours”.[10] When an officer intervened, attempted to cut Meyer off, and attempted to escort Meyer out of the hall, Meyer then broke away and continued to shout. Kerry then intervened and requested that Meyer be allowed to ask a question. Meyer was then brought back to the microphone with police officers on either side of him.[11]
Meyer then handed his camera to the woman who was standing in front of him in line (later identified as Clarissa Jessup) and requested that she record him. Kerry then finished answering a previous question, Meyer was then recognized by Kerry to ask a question.
…
After Meyer used vulgar language in one of his questions his microphone was cut off. Steven Blank, ACCENT chairman, said, “We make it clear that any profanity and vulgarity by anyone asking questions will result in a cutting off of the mic.”

You can see a video of the actual events here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7Qef8oPmag&NR=1

After the profanity, just off to the right of the camera you can see the person moderating who was working with the officers instruct the A/V tech to cut the microphone – at which point the officers stepped in to escort Myers out.

I find it interesting that several other videos, including the one by Myers himself, have the portion deleted of Myers resisting arrest by trying to escape the officers and run away down a side isle after being escorted to the back of the room.

It was only after this that Myers was pulled to the ground and asked to turn over so they could handcuff him. And only after resistance of that that the officers finally used a tazor. In the video you can hear the officer warn him if he does not comply that he will be tazored.

When someone is at an organized event, and another person tries to disrupt the event I’m glad we have the law enforcement available to help the event continue as it was organized. And I find it ludicrous that someone who takes action like this throws their hands up in the air and shouts “why do their have to be consequences to my disturbing is event.” Then while resisting arrest, they get upset for the consequences of resisting arrest.

By the way, I don’t think the Microsoft guy would have been tazored. He was complying in leaving. The reason Myers got tazored is because he refused to leave. Watch the video. It’s all very obvious as to why it happened.

But what the Microsoft man did was assault. I hope they throw him in jail for as long as they can. These same people could have set up their soapbox anywhere and shouted whatever they wanted to shout. That’s free speech! But disrupting other people and is uncalled for.

I applaud the officers for how they handled the difficult Myers this situation.

Vintageport - Thank you for pointing out who the other candidate is and the link to his website. What is incorrect? I agree that we need a cyber crimes unit. Those of us who don’t work with BCSO don’t know what’s correct and what isn’t. It is my understanding that they aren’t funded to hire more deputies, is this accurate? If not, what can be done about it? I would like to see increased patrols in the outlying communities as well but I understand also that outlying communities aren’t really working with the Sheriff’s office on this. So how does Paul Wilde intend to help resolve this problem? What does Paul Wilde intend to do different/better if elected? His name is known but beyond the fact that he’s been with BCSO for a long time and Stommel wants him to take over his seat, I don’t know a lot about him. Another thing I’d like to see is better communication between BCSO and county residents. Does Paul Wilde have a website address we can visit?

Now is the time for both candidates to address this forum and let the public know what they intend to do if they are elected. Frequently in these type of positions it is the person who’s name is known that will get elected, rather than the person who has the ability to do the job and do it right.

Having worked with both candidates they both have admirable traits and both could do a good job. But we as a public need someone in the position that will excel and do an excellent job for Law Enforcement and the community.

You can argue that Wilde who was taken under the wing of Stommel might possess some of the same traits that Stommel possessed. Many were glad to see Stommel leave as he had poor relations with many of the Mayors, Council Members of the Cities and was frequently known for pushing his weight around.

Cook could be described as a road officer who has some background in the basics of Police Work, however from reading his resume on his web page does not have anything that would assist him in Administrative Duties.

There is concern from the officers of the BCSO about wages and morale. Too many think that throwing money at the situation will make it better. Frequently officers who are happy and have support from their leaders will work at a lower wage due to the treatment. However during Stommels tenure many have left to go to other agencies due to mis-treatment and poor conditions.

Again as a member of the public we have to ask why is the Sheriffs Office making purchases of large SUVs for a large part of the Department. These are very expensive to initially purchase, equip and then nearing 4.00 a gallon of gas it is very expensive to put gas in. The public will be told that they are needed for the back country deputies which is correct, but when you see the Ammon Contract Officers and the Dog Catcher having these type of vehicles when other Departments purchase vehicles that are less expensive and conserve gasoline. We all want to save dollars, maybe the candidates can give us an idea of what the yearly expenditures are for salaries, vehicles, equipment, jail, training and some of the more common areas?

I would like to see the candidates talk about some of the problems that they have encountered with problem officers and how they corrected the issue. There are many things that go on that the public does not know about that are solved by civil litigiation that the public has to pay for.

Does either candidate intend on bring together local tasks forces to address the DUI/Traffic Problems, Sexual Assault Cases, Drug and Narcotics and so forth. Many other jurisidictions have programs that are extremely sucessful and have high praise from the public. Unfortunately too many Law Enforcement agencies heard Stommel say stay out of my county. He did not like the idea of multi jurisdictional programs and as a result Bonneville County has one of the highest traffic accident and Death rates of a County of this size. Does either candidate endorse Stommels way of suggesting that his officers only give warnings on traffic violations. This is an easy way to say do not rock the boat because an election is coming up. As a result many people have been killed in traffic accidents in the County and many more seriously injured due to the lack of attention placed on enforcing the laws. Complete statistics can be located at the Department of Transportation Site.

Lets hear from the candidates and encourage all three to discuss in this forum and others what they stand for and how they can make a postive change in Bonneville County.

Sheriff Paul Wilde is not Byron Stommel and it is unfair to even suggest the comparison. I can say that for the first time in a long time I truly feel that the door to the Sheriff’s Office is open to all. Sheriff Wilde has open ears and open eyes. He has a positive “move forward” attitude that is apparent at every opportunity one has to speak with him.

Honestly, I had to look up the definition of bigotry and can say that it in no way relates to the current Sheriff. Don’t get me wrong, Sheriff Wilde will point out mistakes that his people make but he is fair. Yes, he has been with Bonneville County for many years and in those years, he has fulfilled many assignments professionally and capably. He has worked patrol, detectives, neighborhood watch, public relations officer, Detective supervisor, jail administration, chief deputy and now Sheriff. Not to mention others. He has many positive plans for the Sheriff’s Office but like all things, change does not happen over night.

Topics:

The Sheriff’s Office meets and exceeds state required correctional facility requirements. The staff there is exemplary.

Laun Cook - Candidate. (Bigotry?) I have a lot of heartburn over his web site and the things he claims there. It is true that the Sheriff’s Office has lost several officers over the years. There was a tremendous negativity that ran through the office for a time which was mainly caused by a few individuals who are no longer employed there and some who still are. It was mostly over wages. This is not a quick fix and is something that Sheriff Wilde has said he will continually work on.

Cook claims that the Sheriff’s Office used to be a place where deputies went to work proud and eager to being a department where the morale is as low as he has seen it. I still go to work proud after a lot of years because I know that I serve a great community. I think every uniform we have is proud of the job they do and the service they provide even if they do make a few dollars less than an Idaho Falls City police officer. I don’t agree with his claims of poor management. I will say that I have seen a lot of negativity from Cook and I have seen him lower morale in groups of deputies he worked with.

Don’t get me wrong, Cook is a very capable patrol officer and I have never seen him shrink from responsibilty but many employees have found him difficult to work with and extremely negative in his attitude and demeanor.

His claim that deputies dont have time to follow up on their own cases is untrue and unfair to some of the deputies that work very hard to do so.

The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office has always done effective law enforcement and to say we need to get back to it, is a black eye to everyone who works there.

Traffic enforcement - The Sheriff’s Office works very hard at this. Many straight forward and fair traffic citations are written every month by road deputies. You may not get a ticket for driving 5 over the speed limit as you might in the city of Idaho Falls but deputies focus on this problem. The traffic division deputy works incredibly hard on this and there have been several aggressive driving task force hours worked.

We operate with the same amount of narcotics officers as we did 17 years ago - false.

To say that the Sheriff’s lacks experience in investigations is wrong. The office has several experienced, dedicated and talented detectives that took this statement very hard. Cook has NEVER been a detective. Property crimes not worked like they should be? He should walk into the Detectives office and tell them this personally and see the response he gets. The statements he makes about cyber crimes and sex crimes, I would say he is quoting one man’s interests there. There is a task force on sex crimes, there is a task force for narcotics and traffic offenses are a priority.

The Sheriff’s Office has several four wheel drive patrol vehicles with questionable mileage. You have to take into consideration what is available and what can really do the job that law enforcement does on a daily basis when you consider this. The public wants capable service and the Sheriff’s Office stives to provide this with personnel and equipment and this includes vehicles.

Cook says things are not well with the Sheriff’s Office. He is wrong. Things are changing for the Sheriff’s Office and I beleive for the better.

He states that the Sheriff’s Office has declined under ineffective leadership and hints towards the current Sheriff Wilde. Sheriff Wilde is a leader and is not affraid to roll up his sleeves and dig in right along with his people from my experience.

Cook is not a motivator. He is good at pointing out the negative and tearing people down. He says he will hire more people to place in many task forces and divisions. If this was so easy, it would have been done. Money for the Office is an issue but it is strangled by the noose of the county justice fund.

Cook won’t walk into the office and clean it up like Dodge City even if he says so.

I am Sheriff Wilde and I have approved this message. (comment 35)

Guest House is like one of those kids in high school that never had anything intelligent to say but loved to make fun of those who did. Come on, you remember them.

Just when I think things have calmed down a bit. The extreme sensitivity of some posters just amazes me. GuestHouse directed no rude comments towards anybody, yet a joke (which was pretty funny to me) still managed to bother someone. Incredible. I honestly don’t know how some of you make it in the real world.
I think the poster that didn’t like the joke was one of those kids in high school that ran home and cried to mommy everytime somebody teased them on the school bus, you know the ones I’m talking about.

Wow, Mr. Cook, you burn the candle at both ends, for sure!

Thanks for commenting, I’ll have to check out your website, now.

Good luck to you on your race.

I did take Guest House’s comment as a judgemental jab. If someone supports a candidate and has postive things to say or vis versa, let it go at that and add something useful to the conversation.

Mr. Cook, you are wrong. I make less per pay check than you do. I avoid giving my identity for the reasons I explained several days ago. I wish to avoid conflicts that ocurred during the campaign for Sheriff between Stommel and Gallup several years ago. Tell the people the truth and dont make false accusations from your negative point of view.

Why What How: That is a very excellent question. Why I think I am qualified to protect you and the other citizens of Bonneville County is because for the last Decade and 1/2, I have been working in the field taking police calls, physically protecting the citizens of Bonneville County. The administrative option you have has been doing administrative work during this time period. It is your job as a voter to determine which is better qualified to protect you.

What is meant by “Law Enforcement Certified” is a certification by POST (peace officers standards and training) A link to POST is provided in my web site. However, my certification which is a “Master” law enforcement certification is not listed on their web page. A master cetification is above an “advanced” if you want to go to that link and look at the certifications. These certifications are based on years of experience, training, and education.

Under the freedom of information act, the sheriff’s office is required by law to release information to you and anyone else who requests it. Very little information is exempt from this. You can go to the records office and fill out a simple form and they have if I recall about 5 days to give you the information.

When you go to my site and read “Lets get back to doing law enforcement”, maybe you should consider all the non certified staff, and staff with very litte field experience we have running the sheriff’s office and it will give you a new twist on my thoughts of “getting back to law enforcement”.

Why What How: Google Idaho State Statutes and find Idaho Code 31-2202 and it list the duties of Sheriff. My opinion is that the majority of those duties listed there are “Law Enforcement” verses administrative.

I don’t claim to be a perfect candidate for Sheriff. I simply offer a different choice for you and the public. It’s your job to decide what qualifies any candidate for office.

I am not close to Sheriff Wilde. I work for him. I have known Cook for a long time. The reason I make the comments that I have is based mostly on Cook’s web site. He wants the public to believe that he knows what he is talking about because he works for the Sheriff’s Office. Well, so do I and I have said this before when I apologized for not giving my real name. I’ve been through as many police calls as he has and some with him. I want the public to know that they have a great Sheriff’s Office that works for a great community.

The things that cook says on his web site paint a black cloud over an office I have worked with for a long time as have many Deputies. There are a lot of great people that work there who make sacrafices every day for their careers and the people that they are sworn to protect. Things are good at the Sheriff’s Office. The pay isn’t what It could be and that is a fact.

I am pro Wilde because I have watched him do many tough jobs and supervise many people. I have watched him as a Deputy and I have seen the way he treats people with respect.

I am not pro cook because I have also watched him as a Deputy and I have seen the way he treats people. You don’t just put on a tie one day and decide to run for Sheriff after some of the train wrecks he has caused.

I completely respect his right to run for office if he so chosen. I do not respect the negative things he says about the office I work for and the people who work there. Staff at the Bonneville County Jail are not “Jailers”. They are correctional Deputies who have a tough job and work hard at it. Every Deputy in the Sheriff’s Office is not inexperienced. True some are new but show me a law enforcement entity that does not have new people. They are the future.

I don’t want to sling mud at anyone but I cannot in good consceince stand by while Cook publicly announces that the Sheriff’s Office is not doing their job or can’t do their job. I want you the people to know both sides.

His “master” certificate in law enforcement means that he has worked in law enforcement for 15 years and has earned enough P.O.S.T. training hours to apply for the certificate.

My apologies if I have offended anyone thus far.

Laun Cook, I am not finding Idaho Code 31-2022 on a google search nor on a search of the Idaho Statutes site. Do you have a direct link?

Correct me if I’m wrong but doesn’t Wilde have a great deal of experience as a patrol officer too? If he’s worked in all of the departments noted above, it sounds like he has been in the trenches.

I still don’t think that anybody’s identity should be revealed here unless the poster chooses to reveal it him or herself. I don’t think there is a perfect candidate for this position or any other. I just want to make a vote that is as informed and accurate as I can make.

Something that people should keep in mind in this thread. This happens any time there is a sheriff’s election and that is that political lines get drawn. Sometimes employees are forced into supporting certain candidates whether they want to or not. Employees who back the wrong horse sometimes get fired before or after. The last few Bingham county elections for sheriff have been particularly bad this way as there have been employees fired for merely backing the wrong person either before or after the election. If you don’t believe this can happen I’d suggest you look up what it means to be an “at-will” employee which is what most people working in law enforcement are in Idaho. It literally means you can be fired at will by the employer without cause. Some places have enacted their own policies making it a bit harder, Idaho Falls PD for one, but they aren’t required too.

Knowing this I’d take anything said here or elsewhere by anyone currently working for the sheriff’s department with a grain of salt. Because you don’t know if its their real opinion, one being foisted upon them by Wilde or an administrator trying to curry favor with Wilde, or if the employee is trying to curry favor.

Merely stating the truth. There was a deputy in Bingham county in the 2004 election who was fired for no other reason than posting signs in his yard for the candidate that ended up losing. So while things could be true that are said about either candidate one must seriously look at the source especially if ones continued employment may well depend upon a certain candidate winning.

I personally have no stake in this. I don’t work for the sheriff’s department and while I’ve met both Wilde and Cook on many occasions I’ll be the first to say I have no clue who is the better candidate.

I do feel qualified to bring up the issues though and the issues people should be talking about are as follows:

1) Bonneville county has a huge employment problem right now as the Sheriff’s department has lost countless good officers to better paying agencies. The IFPD for instance has 20-30 former BCSO deputies from patrol or the jail working for them that all were hired in just the last five years. The #’s balloon to over 40 officers if you go back ten years. Conversely the BCSO has exactly ONE former IFPD officer and thats a bit of anomaly since he quit the IFPD to go overseas for a few years and when he came back the IFPD didn’t rehire him so he was forced to go to the BCSO. The question should be asked how does each candidate propose to deal with these recruitment and retention problems?

2) Under sheriff Stommell the policy existed that a deputy who left the jail to work as a patrol deputy had to start completely over on the payscale. Many deputies take jail jobs just wanting to get their foot in the door on their way to their ultimate goal which is working the streets as a regular cop. But with this policy in place many deputies from the jail saw no reason to stick with the sheriff’s department when they would have to take a paycut to work as a street deputy. Especially when instead of a pay cut they could get a huge pay raise going down the hall to the IFPD. Will the current candidates continue this paycut policy of moving from the jail to the streets or will they get rid of that in the hopes of keeping good employees. I’ve heard many current IFPD officers who used to be deputies say they wanted to stay with the sheriff out of loyalty but bills came first.

3) How do you feel about the idea of going metro by merging with the IFPD? I saw this question asked of Paul Wilde a few months ago and he sidestepped the question by saying he didn’t think city leaders would let it happen. While that is probably true its an evasion of the question. My impression was that he is in favor of going metro but didn’t want to risk upsetting some of the IFPD officers who were present when it was asked since the endorsement of various IFPD officers could be crucial to either candidate.

4) When the new jail was built the plan was to house state prisoners to make money. That hasn’t panned out nearly as well as had been envisioned since the jail was quickly filled with Bonneville county prisoners and you can see that soon this jail will be overflowing. What kind of future do you see for the jail? Expansion? Trying to limit the # of inmates being booked by discouraging agencies from booking anyone as was the case back in the old jail days when only felony arrests got booked.

vintageport, in comment 56 you stated that you just “tell it like you see it”, that’s still considered “your opinion”. Even though you work for Wilde, that still doesn’t make “your opinion” any more or less valid than anyone elses, even when an “opinion” is coming from the oposing side.
I agree with WhyWhatHow’s statement 53 in where they note “I don’t think there is a perfect candidate for this position or any other. I just want to make a vote that is as informed and accurate as I can make.” Thats also how I feel. (excellent comment)
I do however appreciate everyones opinion and I think this is a great discussion.
Thanks

Thank you Cr67, and this is a great discussion. I would really love to hear from Paul Wilde, his views, what he’s considers important, what his plans for the immediate as well as distant future are as Sheriff, etc. Along those lines, I would like to hear what issues both candidates don’t believe is important. I really wish he had a website.

All Idaho statutes are here: http://www3.state.id.us/idstat/TOC/idstTOC.html

It’s more helpful to have the correct title and chapter when looking something up.

CR67, Post 59. Thank you and I agree

vintageport3935, #66 is really over the top. You’re right that he looks silly by guessing who you are.

However, you have a personal agenda with Mr Cook that may or may not be valid, but it sure as heck isn’t reasonable for you to be anonymous and him to be out in the open, if you’re making accusations on a public website. He’s running for office but you’re clearly for his opponent, and it’s getting more muddy as you go.

I am asking Joe E or CR67 (moderator) to take out those personal attacks and leave in the first sentence, along with the one part that is a valid question in #66…”Tell me how you intend to make the Sheriff’s Office a more positive employee friendly, High morale place to work”

Please stick to the issues, and leave your personal agenda off this post.

(I’m more curious than ever as to why you REALLY suggested this post.)

I am tired of the attitude of many of those at the Sheriff’s Office which assumes that because you are honest about the present conditions you are somehow disloyal or unfaithful to your duty to serve. Those who actually care about the people of Bonneville County are the ones who are brave enough to REALLY call it like it is. How will the problems ever be fixed if everyone pretends to have Pollyanna glasses on? Although I am newly aware of Cook and his platform, I am very pleased with his honesty about the state of the Sheriff’s Office. This honesty leads me to believe that he will fix the problems.

Laun, you have more support from the “jailers” (not a big deal) than you realize. And to Vintage: for being so highly sensative about your identity you would think you’d be more thoughtful of those with the guts to give out their name and stand behind their service (ex. Cook). While it is true that putting yourself out there can complicate things (hence my Anonymity) it would be nice if you would stop alluding to alleged unprofessional service by Cook without really backing it up.

The word “negativity” is thrown around the Office like some secret key word. If you use it, everyone is supposed to just shut up and smile and assume that SOMEBODY, ANYBODY is going to be honest and fix problems, right? Is it negative to want Deputies to have a positive outlook about their role in the Office and their place within it? Is it negative to expect that taxpayer dollars are not used for ridiculous, newly-purchased DARE vehicles sitting on a back lot? Is it negative to ask for the safe and correct number of deputies to be put on the streets and in the jail? Is it negative to ask that an Officer be paid a livable wage to put their life on the line? Is it negative to encourage more communication within and without the Office? I ask you, Vintage what negativity do you specifically see in your good friend Cook?

It sounds like there is more turmoil within the Sheriff’s office than most of us are aware. Again, I would be interested in hearing from Paul Wilde. He may gain a lot of insight as to what the officers and public want from reading this thread. Whoever wins this election has their work cut out for them and some pretty tall expectations that hopefully, they are prepared to take on.

Why What How:

I too appreciate the tall order that the new Sheriff will have to take on. It is not for the faint of heart. Mr. Cook will have a lot to come up against with the political landscape of the County overall, but I have a good feeling that he is up for it. I do not believe Wilde is an evil villian, nor do I believe he is the solution to the problem. While he is a step up from Stommel, Wilde seems to have too many of the same political connections and patterns of thinking to really be effective in seeing the problems clearly and changing them.

I do not care to guess who Vintage is nor do I care to make any personal attacks upon him or her, but I would appreciate at least some explanation for the hateful speech aimed at Cook. For all this talk of a highly successful, perfectly sound Sheriff’s Office it seems like a lot of personal drama has been silently building up under the surface in this particular instance. I respect Cook’s desire to risk it all to tell us what he really thinks and will continue to give him the benefit of the doubt unless and until Vintage has something more concrete to base his comments on.

I would also say that there is alot of positive with in the “Office”. Our County is the best equipped County in the state. There is not another county in the area that has the equipment we have . We are about to get a upgrade on our radio equipment (over 3 mil). Sheriff Wilde had a big part in the grant writing for that project. Sheriff Wilde also has the experience to run the jail, since according to idaho statuets, Civil paperwork and the jail are his main responsibility. Not to take anything away from Laun Cook but the Jail is another world and take alot to understand how it functions. Sheriff Wilde has a good understanding.

Oh, and I suggested this post hopeing for an oppertunity to refute the alligations Cook makes on his web site as his chat blog does not work. I’ve said this before. I hoped to draw him into this conversation so he could explain some of those things. I accomplished some of what I set out to do.

Nemesis,

This is a difficult situation here. I have asked all the moderators to lean towards free speech and allow comments to be made unless they are attacking or violate other rules. I had not given any instruction on protecting identities, but if the previous posts gave names or specific identified users then I support the removal of that information.

For comment #66, I do find the comment to be on the attacking side of things. We are talking about someone running for office, however, and someone held to a higher level of scrutiny than the private individual. Because this is someone running for an elected office I will allow the opinion to stay; and note that Vintageport is probably damaging him/herself and their reputation by how he/she is acting. How the Mr. Cook responds to it tells a lot about himself and his abilities to handle tough situations.

As for anonymity, some have choosen to be anonymous. Mr. Cook has chosen to reveal himself publicly. I respect that and think more highly of him for it. If he acquires office he will be in a position of more power and authority and I can understand someone feeling at risk for revealing themselves if Mr. Cook is elected. Vintageport may have made a good employment decision in remaining anonymous.

I agree that it is best to stay on topic and not be so attacking to guests who come by. Mr. Cook has been professional in openly sharing his thoughts and ideas with us. Let’s all remain respectful to each other – and especially of guests.

I also hope Mr Wilde will stop by and share his views.

You say equipment, I say waste. Vintage, there is no conspiracy, only the reality. I have eyes to see and ears to hear. I find it amazing that you seek to shame into silence anyone who lets the public know about the poor stewardship of the current administration. You do not speak for the entire Sheriff’s Office. We all have a legitimate claim to our own opinions.

It is true that there’s plenty of good in the Sheriff’s Office. But the problem is that too many have lost sight of what is the County’s greatest asset…it’s people! No equipment grant can take the place of hearing those on the front line and considering THEIR needs and priorities. It’s good to invest in new technology and resources but to buy and let sit is WASTE!

Cook and others have been providing very real statistics for the public to consider. I don’t care who you are, you can’t ignore the numbers. The turnover at the jail is absurd and to be honest, dangerous. You can either dismiss all those people who have left as undedicated and/or greedy OR you can acknowledge that when that many people bail out it is time for a reality check.

I have no beef whatsoever with those who put the needs of their family first and decide they must leave. As for those who are still with the County, they deserve HUGE respect. Let’s not shut down these same dedicated individuals when they want to speak up and make a difference and a change for the better.

Post #79, 5th paragraph. I have stated these things and then I was quickly accused of being a Sheriff Wilde lover. Several readers illuded to the reason I was saying these things is because I will run to my boss and say, “guess what, I’m Vintageport3935″ hoping to get a pat on the back. He probably wouldn’t be too crazy about it.

When this is all said and done, I will still have my career just like I have had for some time. I will still go to work and do those things that the people in Bonneville County pay me to do. I will still do all I can to promote a positive attitude toward my fellow deputies and the public. As I’ve pointed out before, I see good things happening and I hope they stay that way. As an employee with several past experiences with the Democratic candiate (I’m now afraid to mention his name) I don’t see that happening if he takes office. Just a small opinion from someone who works for you, the public.

On average the Sheriffs Office has 14 a year since ‘04

Anonymous 2, that sounds like a very reasonable request.

Liter of Cola, that’s a large number. That many deputies leaving would certainly indicate a real problem to me primarily, low morale.

Vintageport3935, if you are an officer in the BCSO, then I am very glad that you enjoy serving the public and that you like your job and you like your boss. Those things are very positive aspects to being a public servant.

As I said before, I’m reasonably certain that I don’t know you, and I definitely don’t know Mr. Cook. But it appears that the two of you have pretty different viewpoints about what works well, and what does not, at the BCSO.

Anon2 in #83, this wishlist appears similar to Mr Cook’s issues on his website. I’d like to know what was the sheriff’s response, when these issues were made known to him as problems?

Post #91 was from Anonymous 2, just for clarity’s sake.

Your just not getting it vintage.

It matters not whether those deputies came from the jail or patrol. Those are still highly trained and qualified people that the BCSO are bleeding to other agencies. The BCSO flushed tens of thousands of dollars in training on each one of them only to see them take that training and experience to a better paying department. Patrol or detention you still go to an academy (thats many weeks of paid wages and benefits) and you still go through a training process (more weeks of wages and benefits). And you try to minimize the loss of Franco, Raymond, and Stiffler like somehow its less a blow because the IFPD weren’t the ones to snatch them up. They still left for better paying jobs elsewhere.

And do you think the IFPD and other agencies are done hiring BCSO officers away? The current IFPD hiring roster is like a who’s who of notable BCSO deputies including a certain person running for sheriff but then again thats understandable since he’ll need a job if he doesn’t win the election. The BCSO is and will continue to be a feeding place for better paying agencies to snatch up officers who already have training. This will continue to happen until BCSO wages and benefits become competitive. I don’t know where the BCSO ranks statewide in wages but I’ve got it on good authority that the IFPD is only in the 20’s statewide and the IFPD pays about four to five dollars an hour more than the BCSO so what does that tell you? The time is long past to just talk about is as you say Wilde is doing. Its time is to do something about it.

Again I don’t work for the BCSO. I work with them though on occasion as you might be able to surmise given my demonstrated knowledge on who has been hired away.

And again I support neither candidate as I really don’t know either well enough to say who would be better. But right now I must say having seen Wilde talk a few times its apparent he is much like Mayor Fuhriman in that he talks a good talk but your left wondering if he actually plans to do anything. Cook at least is talking directly about the problem instead of talking around it.

Ernest, I think some of those questions were already answered by Mr. Cook on this thread.

As far as Roos and Wilde being friends, I don’t think it should be a popularity contest. One of the problems as I view it from reading this thread, has been the good ol’ boy system. I think it’s been made clear that some of the problems that have been created, have been created due to exactly that reason. Everyone needs to be heard not just a select few. If their concerns are not being taken into consideration, that’s a problem. I don’t know Roos well, but I think he has the abililty to get along with most people.

It sounds like the turnover at the Sheriff’s office has been pretty dramatic. That does cost a lot of money, I think more than has been suggested here on this thread. I doubt that is in the operating budget. It’s my understanding, that it takes a full year before a newly hired employee in any job compensates his/her pay due to training. That’s a lot of money in the garbage if the turnover is as high as has been stated here.

I am still quite undecided and will probably continue to be until we hear from Wilde. But it seems pretty apparent that their are problems with in the office that need improvement. They can’t be brushed aside or made excuses for. The people of Bonneville County and law enforcement staff are at stake.

And for the record, I don’t know Wilde other than a shaking of hands and I’ve never met Cook.

My hope is that Wilde will read through this thread as Cook did, and respond to the many questions and concerns that have come up.

Ernest,

What Why How and Anonymous are right on the money, literally. But to make sure your questions are addressed clearly for anyone else who happens upon this blog here’s what I think:

1. Experience: Mr. Cook has the experience that counts in my mind. Less time in politics, more time with citizens and fellow deputies. In fact, the last I looked I have never met a deputy that didn’t have some leadership ability/potential in them. Further, Cook’s leadership in the Military for so many years counts big with me. By the way, a blessed Memorial Day to all you veterans!

2. Jail: Mr. Cook DOES address the jail in his website and on this blog. MOST of those in the Jail Administration are well-qualified, professional individuals, and I am sure they will do a good job working with the next Sheriff, no matter what their differences of opinion. Hopefully Mr. Cook is beginning to see that not all the Jail Administration and staff are opposed to him.

3. Money: Mr. Cook will have to get the funding from the same place every other Sheriff has had to—the County Commissioners. Have they made it easy on Wilde or anyone else—NO! Have they invested properly in those who give so much—NO! Nevertheless, somebody has to hold them accountable. I hope that those of us who are trying to shake things up will also hold the Commissioners responsible for their actions as well. Look at how much revenue for Bonneville County must be coming out of Ammon alone! It’s not as if the money to make things work isn’t there!!! It’s a matter of prioritization as always, and it takes someone with guts to keep on the County Commissioners until RESULTS are to be had. Cook’s independence from the Commissioners can only be a GOOD thing in my mind! With no one to impress, he can say it like it is and form healthier relationships with them as he goes forward.

4. Relations with County Commissioners: As a long-time Republican myself, I would like to think that the Commissioners wouldn’t be so hypersensitive that they would shut down working with a new Sheriff just because he called them out about some issues. Further, the face of that Commission can change just as easily as the Sheriff’s position can. Those Commissioners are accountable to US! If they want to stay in their positions they will of course be responsive and effective in order to keep this beautiful county safe and strong.

Anon2, you have laid out responses to quite a few issues really well. We’ve heard from Mr Cook, now I’m also looking forward to hearing from Sheriff Wilde.

We’re all asking for Sheriff Wilde to respond, but we don’t even know that he knows who we are or what this site is all about. I’d give him some time to figure it out, and not put such a short deadline on it. Plus he may have gone away on vacation, as some folks actually do during this particular holiday.

Those of you who are in BCSO, or know Sheriff Wilde, it probably would be a good thing to clue him in, so he is aware that we are hoping to get a response from him.

On the other hand, seems a candidate that is trying to stay on top of the issues would either be searching the web for these kinds of discussions, or would have a staffer who does that for him. So as to not get caught off guard, in this day and age. So, I can’t imagine but what he’d respond sooner than later.

WOW! A lot has gone on here since I left. I am sorry for stirring up such a hornets nest, but what a fantastic discussion! Now only if we could have discussion like this in the Sheriff’s Office.
If you would alow me to make a few further comments, I would like to.

JOE EAGLE- First I would like to appologize for identifying someone. I am not a blogger and I was unaware that was not acceptable until I read back later what had been written. I didn’t even know what a “moderator” was. But I learn quick. I came to this site because I was informed by someone else there was a discussion about the Sheriff’s election. My intention was to expose what Anonymous talks about in #91. The department uses intimidation to silence people. However, Anonymous explains it better than I could.
My suggestion for ignorant visitors such as myself is- you should put a tenth guideline where you make comments- #10-don’t identify users.

VINTAGEPORT- My list of Patrol officers who have left just in the last three years is much longer than what was discussed here. Enough said.
The raise in #93 you spoke of- I would point out that even though it was not department wide, it was a good thing for employees. Now when a “Correctional Officer” comes out of the jail to patrol, maybe he/she can break even instead of loosing so much! I will also point out that my understanding of the raise you speak of, was suggested by the County Commissioners and was taken on by an administrator that was not Sheriff Stommel or Chief Deputy Wilde at the time. My Idea of leadership is that it ain’t about how long you’ve been an administator, it’s about what you do while there. If you are in that position you should have been the one screaming for the pay raise. I wish to thank the lower level administratior who got us the raise. However, the raise ain’t near enough.

As far as my chat on my web site you have mentioned several times. My web site is far from complete. As you know I am not contested in the primary. It’s a long time to November 4th. There is more to come. And please keep telling everyone about it. You appear to support the Appointee Paul Wilde, but you are very good advertisement for me. Maybe I could put a sign in your yard?
Sorry, maybe it’s my sense of humor you don’t care for.

For all those calling for Appointed Sheriff Wilde. I suspect like me, he does not know about this site. I doubt the other Republican candidate Terry Kerr does either. I would like to hear from him as well. Maybe one of you should let them know.

ERNEST- You bring up some excellent questions that I am going to comment on in a bit but I gotta go do chores, I will be right back.

ERNEST- Besides what Anonymous 2 said in #96, I would comment on
1- The lack of Administrative experience is my weak point. To make up for this, I need to surround myself with people who have that experience and whom are more intelligent than I am. This is precisely what I mean on my web site when I talk about an advisory council from both the officers and the public.

2-Jail- I need Vintageport and others like Vintageport who posess the technical knowlege required to run a jail. My big concern reguarding the jail at this point is that we are in the process of adding onto the jail. (By the way, I support the Joann Wood pilot project) This addition will require 30 new Detention Deputies. We cannot keep what we have now staffed how can we expect to staff the new addition? We need to figure out how we are going to staff 30 more. The jail currently has three separate budgets that take up a large part of the roughly 16 Million dollar budget for the Sheriff’s office. I would expect this new project will require an additional budget.

3- Money- we need to continue with some of the ideas our previous financial officer has of creating Sustainable, Adequet and Dedicated funding. Alot of his ideas were very creative. Much of what I am proposing on my web site would not require hireing additional people but rather restructuring what we got and putting some retired on duty personal to use.

4- Relations with the county Commissioners- It is my understanding that at least one of the county commissioners has come out and ridden with Deputies and has expressed interest in attending police training. That’s the kind of leadership I am talking about. And I will point out that the Sheriff’s office is not under their management. A Sheriff is and elected official and he manages the office not the commissioners. They simply control the purse strings. As I mentioned in my previous comment, I am under the impression they are the ones who suggested the recent pay increase for patrol. Having said all that, I think it would still be good once in a while for the public to have another choice on the ballot. I don’t see any reason why I couldn’t get along with them providing they didn’t mind me hounding them all the time to bring wages up so we can retain people.

5-Politics- Your understanding is not correct. I have never been to any Republican Party meetings or contacted any Republican Party officials about running for sheriff. I have talked with numberous Republican’s who support me though. Until recently, I have never been involved with Politics. When I decided run for office, I did alot of research about the different political parties. I was drawn to the Democratic Party largely due to their values of equal opportunity and social and economic equality. The Democratic party is genuin about looking out for the little guy. I was not attracted to the Republican party largely due to their claim to being conservative. On a national and local level that does not appear to be the case. I don’t see where they have been conservative in their spending. Now having said all that, the office of Sheriff has nothing to do with partisan politics. It’s about law enforcement. And I want to get back to doing law enforcement.

6- Interagency cooperation- I will not comment on the relationship between the Chief of Police and the Interim Appointee because I don’t know. I will say that based on what I know of Chief Roos, I will get along with him just fine.

7- Support of the Sheriff’s Office- I have decided not to ask any employees to publicly support me because quite frankly I fear for their livelyhood if they do. I think it would not be appropriate to do so. I am aware that a large portion of this audience is from the law Enforcement community. You included, seem to have alot of insight. Quite frankly I know this is a long shot for me. If I had everyones support it would still be a long shot. It would have been nice had some more qualified folks stepped forward. I have said before, I am not the perfect candidate. However, I think I have better insight as to what the employees need at this point.
Thank you so much Ernest.

For anyone who has truly worked either in the BCSO or in the surrounding agencies, there is no surprise to know that in the past especially under the Administration of Stommel that intimidation tactics were used.

I do not know under the new administration if this still occurs, however anyone who works at BCSO and supports anyone other than the interim Sheriff will not have an easy task of going to work. Policy indicates that members of the Sheriffs Office are not allowed to be involved in Politics at work. However if your boss or one of his Adminisrators comes to you and asks you for personal support or financial support, what are you going to say. If you say yes, then you will be looked at as supporting the current administrator without problems. If you say no, then there is the possibility of your next evaluation having marks that are less than what you would expect for supporting the administrator.

One of the problems that these type of elections create is the fact that the person elected does not answer to County Commissioners or someone who has authority to correct problems that they see with the Sheriff. Many will say that the Sheriff answers to the public, however you do not have to look too far to see that is not totally true.

Look at recent events in surrounding counties where Sheriffs were involved in illegal activity. DUI, Theft of Government Property, Sexual Offenses and many others. Many of these Sheriffs were kept in office until their term was finished while the investigations which are frequently lengthy were completed. Also remember that per statute that only the coroner is allowed to arrest the Sheriff within the county. Another elected official.

If you have a complaint with the way the Sheriff’s office is run, you go to leadership in the Sheriffs Office and address the issue. If the Sheriff’s Office does not respond, you go to the County Commissioners, who then tell you that he is an elected official and they have no power to correct problems within his Department. If you go to the Attorney General they will only look at the case if Law Enforcement has referred the case to their office for investigation.

It is very important to understand that the position of Sheriff is a critical part of this county. It is also important to understand and review the past and current actions of those within the Bonneville County Sheriff. You might want to ask some of the following questions:

Did Paul Wilde support Sheriff Stommel when the Idaho Sheriffs Association placed larges amounts of revenue into defeating term limits? The public had already voted twice on term limits and the State Sheriff’s Association was one of the main reasons the publics wishes was reversed.

How do the candidates propose to providing coverage to the areas within the County which do not see a deputy on a frequent basis?

How do the candidates propose to address the rising cost of gasoline and how was that addressed in the budget that was submitted to the County Commissioners.

How do the candidates propose to address concerns with the public regarding negative contacts with the Sheriffs Office.

How do the candidates propose on building cooperative agreements with local law enforcement, fire, ambulance and local cities?

I know in the past that Joe Vandal had a question and answer period on this site with the former Chief of Idaho Falls. Maybe this might allow some who frequent this site to ask questions of the candidates and allow them to answer.

Guest in Post 106, excellent questions! I would like the answers too.

Vintageport Post 111, considering the questions and comments that have come up, I think Stommel has a lot to do with it. And I will say that the way you are responding to posters here, sounds like some of the comments we have heard regarding Stommel. This is the very attitude some of these people want changed. That said, I’m not sure it’s helping Wilde’s cause.

If your effort is to benefit Wilde, maybe you should put this link in front of him and let him respond himself.

anonymous 2,

I didn’t see anyone asking for your name…..???/ what’s up with that??

Laun Cook, thanks for responding to all these questions. That’s the kind of politician I like. You sound honest and capable. The only other one I can think of is that somewhere on here you mentiond cutting back on frivolous internal investigations. Would you elaborate please?

Other than that I promise I won’t ask more questions at least until after we’ve heard from Paul Wilde.

This post was removed by the moderator a few days ago. I cleaned it up a bit and now I am re-posting it.

So why doesn’t someone call guest 541 on the carpet for post #107? I certainly faced a great deal of flack for giving my personal opinion of Cook but I guess defaming our recent Sheriff is ok. I totally disagree of your assessment. Byron Stommel has done our community more good in one day *******************************************8

Vintageport3935 has asked Cook about a take home car. I would have to agree that this is an area that needs to be looked at in reference to cost savings for the taxpayer. At the same time Vintageport3935 previously stated that he was employed by the State of Idaho. Does he also have a take home car and has he offered to save the tax payers money by leaving his car at the office and then driving to work.

Too frequently in State and County Agencies we allow these perks which are costly to the public especially as gas reaches 4.00 a gallon. The public needs to be informed how our governmental leadership plans on reducing these type of costs.

How many times do you see a police car at local fast food stop during the officers lunch, idling with no real purpose.

How many times does the tax payer foot the bill for equipment that sits in a locker or closet.

I understand and agree that officers need good equipment for safety reasons and fully agree with that. However why do we purchase 600-900.00 ballistic vests for officers that never wear the vest and leave it in the trunk of a car, then after 5 years get a new one issued?

What about a 3,000.00 radar that is placed in a patrol car, but is seldom used by the officer because the previous administration did not want to rock the boat and make the public upset about receiving citations?

The list goes on and it would be interesting to hear from both candidates how they intend to reduce the waste as the public is paying for it. Just the other day the Sheriff in Bannock County said that he was going to be over budget for approximately 60,000 in gas and even more for the food that is given to the prisoners. What is going to be the overrun for Bonneville County and how are the candidates proposing to take care of the problems?

Frankly officers don’t let their vehicles sit and idle when having lunch. When they are actually inside the restaurant eating their vehicle is turned off except for K-9 vehicles. They are the only exception for having to have the vehicle run while the K-9 is inside of it.
Yes, you will see an officer in his vehicle at times eating while the vehicle is running. Why is that you may ask? It’s because they do not get official lunch breaks like the rest of us do. The officer could be eating one second and get a call while he’s trying to eat.
I would find it hard to believe the officer is intentionally trying to cost the county gas by keeping his vehicle running all the time.

I am curious to know who you think it is who’s not wearing these expensive vests. The only people I can think of are the ones that are in the office all day. I guarantee you won’t find an officer out there working the streets not wearing a vest.

In regards to the equipment such as radar units. Being Sheriff is a public office which means you guessed it political games. Come election time the Sheriff wants as many voters as possible. Sad to say but this is where ticket counts probably go down to get political support. For example the recent Speed Trap Forum. You’re not going to win those supporters by writing them tickets.

I do drive a County owned vehicle home. It is a great advantage to be able to respond to an emergency from my home. If a crisis arises, the public benefits from a rapidly mobilized Sheriff’s Office to respond. County Deputies are not allowed to use their vehicles for personal use as are City Officers who pay a certain amount each month to be able to do so.

I just ask that people running for political office aren’t hypicritical in the issues. Don’t claim waste but then continue to take advantage of that self proclaimed waste when it is against your platform.

Don’t just take what some candidates have to say as gold because they want to portray themselves as some kind of Maverick. You have to look at the real person and what it is they stand for.

Just a quick question for Vintageport 3935. Maybe it is the way I read the response in Post 105 which states that you are a Certified Law Enforcement Officer for the State of Idaho. In Post 119 you state that you have a Take Home COUNTY Car. So I would have to assume that you are employed by Bonneville County, but have certification with the State of Idaho as a Peace Officer and Do Not work for the State itself?

I know both Candidates. One has been Good ole boy systemed and the other is hard working, against dishonesty and doesn’t play the games that Vintageport3935 is protecting, and how the office operates still, even since Stommel left. Job security is the Good ole boys system. Mr. Cook would make the work like it should be, which would make the public safer. I am not going to debate with Wilde’s employees that feel secure with this lifestyle. Most Americans were raised different. Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office needs to return to that, it’s way overdue. Past and present conduct from Administration would make the public quiver. I admire Mr. Cook, and I know he can most definately do the job better. This is a one time comment that I don’t need to defend. Just thought some of you wondering would like to hear facts, not Good Ole boy comments forever to make Mr. Cook look bad and build Wilde’s campaign. Personal sacrifices and time for public is what it is all about to make a good leader to get things on the right track again. Let’s change the future for better and loose that negative system that only works for those in charge!! Fear holds several at bay to speak out against this, but some of us are like Mr. Cook and love to see David take on Goliath and WIN!! I would like to think that if I had a child want to be a police officer they could be proud to work there someday. It won’t ever happen unless we do something. Let’s start now. Good Luck Mr. Cook!!

Fact and Truth (maybe some myth) - Post #123

I respect your opinion but disagree. Here we go again, yet another opinion much like Mr. Cook’s that claims that the Sheriff’s Office is not doing their job or can’t do their job. What do you base this from? You sound like you have been through a situation that has left you frustrated by politics.

What kind of fear holds people at bay? I don’t go to work afraid and I generally don’t hold back with my opinions. Things are not negative at the Sheriff’s Office. THINGS ARE GOOD AT THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE despite the claims of conspiracy.

I would like to think that if any of us have children that need the Sheriff’s Office at a crucial time or even perhaps elect to work in law enforcement there, they will find an agency run by qualified, dignified, respectful leaders who have their eye on the whole picture.

I agree that we should wish Mr. Cook good luck. I hope he gets that IFPD position he tested for.

Vintageport, we have heard a lot from you but still have not heard from Paul Wilde. Did he assign you as his personal representative? Is there a reason why he won’t post here? Haven’t you told him about this thread and that perhaps he should come on here defend himself? At this point, I would think that is the right thing to do unless there is some reason why you fear giving it to him.

Tuff Guy: Wilde only won the election between the Republican runners. He still has the election coming up between he and the democratic runner. To say that it would not be wise to talk is unbelievable. We want to hear what he plans on doing, and if as you suggest he is not going to respond to questions from the public, then that might suggest what kind of leader that he is or plans on being. This is the problem that was experienced for years with Stommel. We need someone that will develop good relationships and good law enforcement practices.

should the sheriff be an elected position???

post #127

I didn’t relize that we had to be assigned as a personal representative for someone to state our opinions here. Tear it down, kick it around and take from it what you want. I’m not a good old boy and I don’t do politics very well. I know what is right and what is wrong. I don’t pretend to speak for other people

Post #134

I don’t suspect it is my place to do that and it seems like an odd thing to say. Why don’t you call him and ask yourself. I know his number is in the phone book under BCSO.

I agree with the “how is that odd” statement whywhathow posted.
What harm could it do for you to mention this site/discussion to him and let him decide if it would be something he’d feel comfortable particpating in? If anything, I think it would completely enhance the overall discussion as well as show the voters he’s not afraid of participating in a format such as this to express his views, opinions and intentions. And perhaps even garner some votes.
There’s certainly nothing “odd” about that.
But that’s just my opinion for what it’s worth.

I myself have been disappointed in finding no comments from Sheriff Wilde. It feels like we’re being ignored, that our questions and concerns are of no concern to him.

Whereas his opponent has a website up and has participated, and even been personally attacked by supporters of the current sheriff, on this site. In fact, I suspect that a forum from which to make those attacks on the opposition was the real reason that the sheriff’s supporter suggested this post in the first place.

Do you suppose the Sheriff feels no need to campaign? As if it’s cut and dried, and he’s a shoe-in, without the need to sully himself by mixing with the hoi polloi?

I’ve got no beef against the current sheriff, at all. I just don’t want this to be like George W Bush, who took Idaho’s votes for granted and never bothered to campaign here. Is that ( R ) on the ballot enough to assure the win at the sheriff’s level, too?

As I’ve said before. I hoped to shed some light on the FALSENESS of the democratic candidates claims on his web site. Yes, that is part of the reason I started this post. It’s not a secret. Also as I’ve said before, I don’t plan to run to my boss and say “hey, guess what??”. I doubt many of you would either if in the same position. I will not even entertain the thought of discussing this at work.

Have you noticed that the democratic candidate has not been back to this discussion? I wonder why? Have you noticed how many people he suspected of posting these comments? That should tell you something.

If the democratic candidate can make claims of the current condition of the Sheirff’s Office because he works there and has been “in the trenches”, well, so can I. I realize after being envolved with this discussion since the beginning that a postive attitude is not a popular thing to have here.

I’ll say it again. Don’t beleive what is posted on his web site. It is his opinion and NOT shared with the vast majority of those who are or have been “in the trenches”.

I have to agree with Nemesis in post 138 that there is concern that Sheriff Wilde has not responsed to the questions here.

Previously a Lieutenant from BCSO came here and discussed many issues brought out by the public against Stommels administration. Even through some of the responses were to protect Stommel, I felt that at least the public was being addressed. Neeless to say his contract with BCSO was not renewed under Sheriff Wilde.

Vintageport3935 is obviously a loyal servant of the current Sheriff. He has addressed some of the concerns that he has for the democratic challenger. However when others address concerns about Sheriff Wilde, he takes offense at the questions being asked. In this type of election we need honest answers from both candidates. The Democratic Challenger sees things from is experience and Vintageport3935 sees things from his perspective. Each will have different amounts of expierence from different levels.

We have to remember that the Sheriff is an elected position by the public. He is not appointed by the Mayor and has to answer to the public. Previously Vintageport3935 has indicated that Wilde has talked to the members of the BCSO about his goals. That is good, however the public and other members of Law Enforcement would like to hear what his plans are with the office of Sheriff.

Without that the public is at a loss as to his visions to the future and how he is going to change some of the things that did not work in the past. Some would like the public to believe that nothing needs changing within the Office and that everything is fine.

Anyone who has had any contact with BCSO knows that changes are important to make this agency a cooperative group that will work with others to keep the public safe. Without hearing some type of response from Wilde, we are forced to believe that it will be business as usual and the pitfalls of the previous administration will continue without change.

Still nothing addressed by Wilde?

What we don’t need are any more power hungry abusive cops. I agree that we need both to address solutions to the problems. Looks like Laun Cook has done that. Is there someone who can inform Wilde that he should take a look at this thread?

I worked with Laun Cook in the National Guard when we were both in our early 20’s. We see one another occasionally as life marches on. Laun is the same hard working, straight talking, honest, trustworthy, committed individual that I’ve always known. His 17 years of committment to the County Sherrifs office speaks volumes about his integrity and ability to remain committed to his goals. Not many years after his joining the Sherrifs department as a deputy, he told me he thought he had found his place in life. He is good at what he does. In fact, many, many years ago, a former Bonneville County Sherriff stated that “Cook is a solid Deputy”.
If you are looking for a straight shooter with integrity and someone who can remain in touch with the average citizen, then Laun Cook will be a great choice for Sherrif.
Think about crop rotation folks. A simple yet effective technique that ought to be a larger part of our political landscape.

I know both canidates and know that both have good qualities. I would like to say that I will be shocked if Sheriff Wilde is not aware of this site and the comments that have been said here. Due to the fact the the Jail Administration reads other discussions on this site and speaks to him about them.

I know that there are obviously issues at the BCSO that have been discussed here. One issue is the comment ref “the good ole boys”. I believe that some of the current administration works that way, especially at the Jail. I also believe that “intimidation” is used at the Jail and that the current Sheriff is aware of this. So far, I have not seen him do anything to change their ways.

I have confronted Sheriff Wilde ref the above and told him that it is my opinion that due to these actions, this lowers the employees’ morale and this is why they find better jobs. His response was that it is not his responsibility to build or change the morale of the employees.

From seeing how Sheriff Wilde has changed since he became Sheriff, I have lost my respect for him. Many employees I have spoken with have become distraut and feel like they don’t matter and are easily replacable, since he has become Sheriff. Which is just more tax dollars for the public.

I realize that the employee, whether it be certified or non-certified deputy, is not the only issue of this election. Although, I believe it is a very important issue that the public needs to be aware of. Especially because many of the deputies don’t live in Bonneville County, so they can’t vote for their next boss.

I am not anti Paul Wilde. But if he wants to be elected Sheriff, he needs to step it up and stop relying on the fact that Republican Party is backing him. So to those of the Jail Administration that read this, please forward to your boss. The public wants some answers.

Faith in post 152 is absolutely correct that Wilde is aware of what has been posted here. She has placed her job on the line by bringing this forward. Too Frequently politicians have forgotten the importance of communication with the public. However it appears that in this case the communication within his own department is lacking.

His job as Sheriff is a very important one. If he does not think it is important to make sure that morale is good within his Department he is costing the taxpayer 50-100,000 dollars in training for each officer that he looses. This costs goes way up when it is an officer who has been with the Department for a period of time and has gone to speciality training and the like.

As a taxpayer I am concerned that Morale not only affects those who work in the Department but those in the public who might need to call upon the Officers of BCSO to investigate a crime. I want an officer who is focused and trained properly, not one that is concerned with lack of support from his administration and is pre-occupied with keeping his/her job.

If Wilde believes that his only job is to be loyal to the Republican Party, he is falling into the good ole boy pattern and will quickly find he will fall the way of many others before him.

Nothing would improve morale like a $5.00 an hour pay raise to bring the deputies pay up to a level comparable to that of other agencies their size. I know one FORMER BCSO deputy who said he would have loved to stay with the BCSO except he couldn’t pay his bills on what they paid him. So instead he walked down the hall and took a $5.00 an hour pay raise to work for the city.

Being happy in your work is important. I know of many officers that worked for a lower wage when they felt they were appreciated and acknowledged for doing a good job.

I do not work for BCSO but have worked with the agency many times in the past. One of the main things that really struck me was how supervision treated the subordinates. It was poor to say the least. In Law Enforcement you are supposed to be professional even if it means showing the best that your department has to offer. Instead under the past and apparently the current administration they have failed to understand how important each employee is.

Without a vision to the future and without the second candidate expressing what his goals are, I would have to believe my vote would have to go to the candidate who has taken the time and effort to address the goals that he intends to seek if elected. Maybe he can come back and talk about how to get the morale of the department where it should be. I know for a fact that the current sheriff has been informed of the posts to this section, but has chosen to ignore the pleas of the public for his side of the issue

From reading this thread I am just guessing that vintageport is one of few who seems to think things are well.

Vintageport, you state that one should grow up and intimidate back. That isn’t really your idea of grown up is it?

You go on to state that Idahofallz.com is not a life altering information source. Yet, I’ve failed to see these issues addressed anywhere. Can you tell us where is the life altering information source? Or does he simply not care about the public opinion? Our opinion?

You further state that morale not being an issue to him is as likely as a pig flying to the moon. Why then are these folks telling us nothing has changed?

I can tell you that I would have voted for him, but given this information, and his lack of response, I am changing my thoughts on the issue.

That’s just it, vintageport, you are in a position where you can say “I know who I’ll vote for and I honestly know why”.

That’s great! But we’re the public, and WE DON’T KNOW. Which is why Sheriff Wilde, when he ignores us despite our requests for him to respond, is not doing himself any favors. We have heard several viewpoints and would like his input, as a candidate.

You’re right about “that’s how our system works”. Someone else sees what they think are problems, feels they can do a better job at fixing them, and runs for office.

I think it’s wonderful that you like your job, and you like working there, and you like to work for Sheriff Wilde.

But there are others who have said things are not as hunky-dory as you say (at least for them) and there is a candidate who has commented here who says the same kinds of things.

Since we’re not important enough (as his constituents on this non “life-altering” website) to address, I have decided I’ll not be voting for Sheriff Wilde, even if Mr. Cook drops out of the race. Sometimes it’s how a candidate treats the “little people” that says more about them than the words of a loyal employee can counter.

Well said Nemesis, thanks.

Nemesis you hit the nail on the head. If we are seeing this type of demeanor before the election, imagine what will happen if he is voted into office. We all want an office where we can call with concerns that the public sees. Currently if you call to talk to him you find that others will run interference for him. Recently I had a concern about a Deputy and when I called Dispatch, rather than getting a supervisor, the dispatcher notified the Officer in question. Wouldn’t it be nice to discuss the issues about the officer before he has been given the heads up and allow him to do damage control?

If this is the type of administration that is running the department I would concur with the others on this thread that I would be looking at the alternative candidate.

Vintageport gets upset about others bringing these things up. However we are taxpayers and we pay the wages, benefits and equipment that is used by the Sheriff’s Office. The public votes for the position of the Sheriff and should have some response back from the candidate who currently holds the office. Vintageport says that this thread is not important, but he keeps coming back anyway. He never did answer the question about which area was valid for the public to go to for information.

Many have asked some very important questions in this thread and the current Sheriff has not answered them. I for one am curious about how he plans on addressing the Gasoline Cost. We are now over 4.00 a gallon and many of the vehicles that BCSO has are gas guzzlers. Is he going to downsize the vehicles, how is he going to handle the budget that was authorized a year ago with costs for gas over a 1.00 a gallon less. Is he robbing Peter to pay Paul, is he taking away benefits of the hard working officers in his department etc….

I have got to acknowledge Chief Roos of the IFPD. He addressed the issue of his officers living outside of the City and take home cars. He told the public what he was going to do, unlike the current Sheriff who is silent on all of the issues that have been brought forth. He is falling into the footsteps of his predessor real good.

I have alot of contact with BCSO as a citizen and an employer working closely with there deputies,they are always enthusiastic about there employer and leadership,I do see a large% of young employees in the department as well as leadership which shoots down “good OLD boys “theory.GOOD JOB and thank you BCSO.:) vin3935 nuf said imo :0

If Vintageport would be so kind to give us the length of time that he has worked in Law Enforcement it would be helpful in evaluating his comments. The reason I ask this is due to the fact that some who say they have been around a long time think 3 to 5 years is a long time. When others suggest 10-15 or 20 years.

I know from personal experience some of the things that are being discussed frequently do not affect the newer officers. When you have worked in the position for an extended period of time, many within the agency or from the public will start to provide you with information about issues that need to be changed within the Office.

We all know that there are double standards within BCSO depending who you are. Why is one supervisor slapped on the wrist for having an affair with a female subordinate, while another in a different division is given a different punishment. Why are certain officers railroaded because certain members of the administration do not like them. Each member needs to be treated equally and fairly. This is where the issue of the Good Ole Boy Network concerns many in this field.

We would all like to believe that there are no problems within the agency that each of us works for. However you cannot pull on the blinders and say everything is good when in fact there are many things that need to be changed.

In a position such as the Elected Office of Sheriff, It should not matter what political affiliation each of the candidates has. When members of the BCSO are told not to issue citations because an election is near is totally irresponsible. Bonneville County Has one of the highest Injury and Fatal Collision rates for it’s size in the State. Are we placing the public in jeopardy so the Sheriff can win a few votes. I know of many times officers have been told to look the other way so as not to upset the public during an election year.

Each employee see’s different things. If you work patrol you might not see the problems in the jail. If you work the jail you might not see the problems in records and so forth. This is one of the reasons this forum is good for those who can speak up and ask for a change. At least the public is asking for the Chief Law Enforcement Official of the County to answer some of the many qeustions that have been posed of him at this time. I would hope that he comes forward instead of being silent, as I know this will affect how I and those I associate with will vote in the upcoming election.

VintagePort when you say the Sheriff is making his intentions known, the public hasn’t heard much from Wilde. I put the name into Google and the top hits are High Speed Chase and Shooting, Budget, Public Notices, Being Sworn In and Bonneville County Having the Highest Car Accident Fatality Rates.

I read the local newspapers on a regular basis and watch the news or review the news on line for Idaho Falls. Since the time he has announced his intent to run there has been nothing to indicate what his “Platform” is. If he is talking he is talking in Law Enforcement Circles and the public is left to second guess what the future of the BCSO is.

Again as many have spoken in the past why can one candidate come here and speak of his intentions while the other will not. Please provide us with a source where we can go to see where he stands and what he plans on doing. This has been asked for in the past without a response. Many are left here to wonder from your previous comments that Idahofallz.com or idahofallstoday.com is not a mind altering source of information. If that is the case please give us a link to his website or other sources that tell us what he is doing or going to do.

You also spoke of experiences with some less than desirable supervisors. If Cooks sister had problems and from comments that you indicate about your experiences, what is being done to make sure that the officers and the public only have the best trained and responsive people in these positions?

Seems like a far-fetched story to me.
And what does the price of your home have anything to do with all of this?? I’ve known “coke-heads” with half a million dollar homes so what’s your point?. The price of your home certainly doesn’t make you immune to any illegal activity.
But thanks for sharing your story, I got a nice chuckle from it.. It’s obvious you’re only out to smear this mans good name.

Yeah, I find that one hard to believe too. But it would make a great story for National Enquirer!

Thanks for responding, Rev…and understanding that we needed more than you initially gave us.

If this truly happened then I hope you do press charges, it sounds outrageous.

I retract, you said a few years ago which would have made it Stommel. I would like to hear Cook’s response to this allegation. I can say that if I were a cop and someone was holding a baseball bat when I pulled up, I’m not convinced I wouldn’t have more than a few concerns. But I would like to hear from Cook.

And it still does not convince me that Wilde shouldn’t be responding to the concerns on this board. At this point, if he were my only option, I wouldn’t vote at all.

This is for Bundy,
First off, I was married at the time and still am. I was not in a child custody case concerning my 3 sons. She(my lawyer) was involved with a case concerning my 4th son. That case was done and over with when the event took place.
i also said that I took a drug test, which came up free from all chemicals. So no worry of intoxication.
As far as all of my documents, they were never turned in to anyone. However I have kept the file containing everything I collected during that time, including police reports, drug test reports, and my statements. Like i said, my lawyer advisde me not too. I was flabberghasted? And kind of hurt by it. It might have been because my Mother & Step Father worked for the County, who knows?
From that point I had no idea which direction to go. So i quit pursuing it. I thought I would be okay with it, but it turns out that i wasn’t.
Hope that helps.
Sincerely Rev.

I recall the last couple times that someone came in here with a wild accusation like this against the police they came out looking very foolish when the recordings of the events were released. Don’t know if there is such a thing in this case but it would be good for everyone to remember these incidents.

Well, I guess my take is, that if you call for help with a prowler, and the cop responds and sees someone sitting on the porch of the home the call came from with a bat in one hand and something shiny in the other, could the officer maybe think YOU were the prowler? Isn’t that reasonable? Especially since you didn’t put the bat down when you saw the cop arrive…….

He probably assumed you were the prowler…….I too would love to see the official report on this……..care to share it?

Thanks, CR67…….one other fact I think was mentioned in the original post: wasn’t it also the middle of the night? So the cop responding to the prowler call is walking in blind……….needs to be on guard for anything suspicious at that point, I would think…..

#188 was by Laun Cook

thank you, Mr. Cook……just as we thought, there was much more to the story. Thanks for the input.

Thank you Mr Cook. I also knew there had to be more to that story than what was being told.
Hope to see more comments from you in the future.

I concur!

There is a national trend of turnover for law enforcement. That is undeniable. But, I actually am siding with Laun on this issue, is that whats happening is that law enforcement agencies are poaching trained officers from other agencies. Right now Boise PD will pay experienced officers something like a $5000 to $10000 signing bonus just to hire on. And lets also consider that the Boise city council recently passed an ordinance requiring the Boise PD to ALWAYS be the highest paying agency in the state. Should any other agency pass them then Boise PD automatically gets a raise the next day of 1% higher than the other. Contrast that to Bonneville county who pays near welfare level wages, gives no signing bonuses, and has lost 10-20 good officers in just the last few years while gaining few experienced officers. That is the difference. There is turnover and its all officers going from the agencies who don’t care for their officers to agencies that will bend over backwards to hire you and then keep your salary high enough to retain you.

Ha! Nice to see all the comments!
For one, Mr. Cook, I am not a criminal. The injury to a child case was dropped when I agreed to let my 15 year old son go to live with his mother, who i felt wasn’t fit to care for him. Read through the Doctors report that was taken after she made the false acquisation….. And by the way, all is worked out as far as my family goes. Mommas’ fine, Daddy’s fine and the kids are great too. The relationship with my son and his mom has also been resolved!

Nice ‘SWING’ right back at me though….. It looks as though you have looked up any record that I had….Did you also notice that I was a volunteer at the “Jail” as well?(at the time) Maybe a bad driver, but hardly a criminal!
You never did find any Meth where the ninjas were hiding either? You should’ve been the one to request the drug test! But you didn’t? Why not? Later that day I was the one who volunteered it.

And correct me if i am wrong, because I very well may be.
last time I checked, 529-1200 was public safety? And not 911? So how could you charge me with fictitous 911 calls? You never evened read me my “Miranda Rights”!
When did that become okay for an officer to not read/recite the persons “miranda rights” to the person being arrested?
Is that the kind of Sherrif you’ll be?

My point was that even when you knew that I was the “caller” and unarmed you stil kept pointing your gun at me!
Here is a quote from your site………………………..

“The Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office has become a reactive instead of proactive force. Deputies run from call to call and there is no time for them to follow up on their own cases.
Replacements take six months to train. It takes another six months to a year before they can work independent. It takes a minimum of 2-5 years before they become comfortable working alone or are able to train others. While doing their training, the new recruits are accompanied by what’s left of the experienced officers. While they train, the experienced deputies are unable to do effective police work. This is very expensive and unproductive.”

Does this explain the lack of communication that happend between calls that night? Or maybe you were just trying to prove a point?

I have visited your site as you can see, and I have to agree with “vintageport” when he or she, (which by the way is none of your business or mine!) says, that you are very negative about the BCSO. It’s my belief that you are extremely “right winged” ! Sorry fellow Rep.

Why not tell us what the solution is to the problem, before you get elected? Instead of just pointing it out?
The financial problem is just that, “the financial problems.” The whole country is in bad shape! The BCSO gas bill is going to be outrageous because the price of gas is!

I am not the only citizen who feels safer, knowing that my neighbor is a “Police Officer” or “Sherrif’s Deputy”! As a taxpayer, that is not only a benefit to the officer,……. but to the whole ‘gosh darn’ neighborhood! It just makes everyone (excluding Roof Ninjas) feel safer! I am happy if my tax dollars can go to those kind of things.

And the Morale amongst Officers & other staff, just how do you plan to fix those problems??? When was being a “cop” an easy job?

And you say in comment # 43…”As officers, we take an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. One of our basic rights as citizens, is to run for public office, and freedom of speach”

“…and freedom of speech!”

“…and freedom of speech!”

“…and freedom of speech!”

Mr. Cook, I have every right to be here, on this forum! I have every right to say/ type what ever I will! Whether it be anonymous or not! You don’t even respect our choice to be anonymous. That choice amongst the people in this forum! Referring to “vintage port” & myself!

You said earlier (in a May comment) that you would speak on the METH problem in Bonneville Co.at a later time….
Tell me what you think of the ‘Idaho Meth Project’? Are you a supporter? have you been to any of the provided ‘family forums’ at the hospital? With your children? What will you do in the future to help with this crisis?

Again, I am not running for Sherrif, but I have every right to question why you should be elected!

Thanks, Rev.

“guest of a guest”
I don’t need your respect. But I’ll retort, when I’m called a criminal!
And if ya don’t like it…… You really should just nevermind it!
However, if you feel like conversing with me, I’ll respond. Whether your polite or not.
Rev.

“Anonymous” comment# 200
Thank you, for setting me straight on the “miranda rights”.
Appreciated, Rev

Great discussion. I’m impressed Mr. Cook has been open and willing to address everyone. Thank you for the information.

Mr. Cook,
First I would like to Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.
Second, your absolutely right about my resentment. This brief discussion in this forum has made me realize, that you had a job to do, and did it to the best of your ability. So I sincerely apologize for being disrespectful in any way.
As for the Joan Wood Pilot Project. I also thank you for that introduction. I have had the opportunity to do some research on it, and have friends who are involved with it. I too agree with the I.M.P. being 10 years to late. I recall being in Montana a few years ago, and seeing the bill boards for thier M.M.P. I was thinking why aren’t we doing this too? At the time I was very angry that we didn’t have an I.M.P. As of now, I am just grateful that it is here.
So thank you again for the information. I believe we are on the same side when it comes to making this community a safer place for our children. I am trying to focus on our similarities rather than our differences. I think that kind of attitude is one that will keep us, as a community together, rather than being seperated.

One other thing happend I thought was ironic. Now it may not apply, however. I was telling my wife about the sherrif election and the forum. I was being very general in what I was saying, I mentioned your name and my 9 year old said ” My friend has that last name and thier Dad is an officer!”
I of course thought of you. It really made me think twice about my behavior on this site. i don’t know if it was your child that my child was talking about. But at that moment…. Any resentment or ill feelings were gone! I realized that I was grateful to have you addressing topics on this site, and I need to focus on more important questions. Ones that will actually benefit the future of our community. So again Thank you.
I do realize how busy you are and I hope to hear more from you on this site. It is of great value to many who have questions that only you can answer!
Have a great evening and take care!
Sincerely, Rev