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Home My Public Portal AboutMcCall, Idaho: PoliceStar-News 2/8/68 McCall Police Plan Enforcement of Dog Licensing Ordinance McCALL — Enforcement of the McCall City Dog Ordinance regard- ing unlicensed dogs will be effected in the near future by members of the McCall Police Department. All residents of the city who own dogs must purchase 1968 license tags from the city clerk's office, and the tags must be attached to a collar on the dog's neck. A large dog popula- tion in the area has resulted in sev- eral complaints regarding disturban- ces recently, and the police depart- ment has been instructed by the City Council to take action to enforce licensing regulations. Star-News 11/12/1968 City Council purchases police car and discusses snow problems McCALL -- The McCall City Coun- cil opened bids Monday night for a 1969 car for the police department, and apparent low bid awarded to Cascade Auto in Cascade. The pres- ent car will be taken in trade on the new model, to be delivered in Jan- uary. Snow - removal policy at the city airport was reviewed, and agree- ment reached to follow the same Procedure as in the past, that is, to use city equipment and personnel to open streets following snowfall first, and then clear the landing field if needed. Airport manager Bob Fogg said that the county would help when a rotary plow is needed, but again are responsible for clear. ing county roads first. Jack Seetin was instructed to make a complete survey of the num- her of hookups to the city sewer system and the number not yet completed. Council members will then decide upon a date for com- pliance with the city sewer ordi- nance. Christmas lights will be turned on this Friday and will he on each day from late afternoon through 1 a.m until after the holidays. City crews have also completed a kid's sledding hill in the Stibnite subdivision, and will dump snow from city streets between the Park Motel and Payet- te Lakes Lumber Co., to widen the street for snowmobile users. City Police have been instructed to tick- et, and, if necessary, have removed all unattended vehicles parked on city streets in residential areas, a Procedure deemed necessary for snow removal. In other business, Council mem- bers approved a contract to George Guys as golf course pro and than. ager for the 1969 season. Guys has held the same position in Weiser for the past several years. Star-News 1969 1/9/69 Police crack down on snowmobile drivers McCALL — During a quiet mon- thly meeting Monday nigt McCall City Council members approved or- dinances for the appropriation of $135,000 toward expenses and sal" aries and to vacate a portion of Mc- Call Avenue on the east side of town. Both of the ordinances are printed in full elsewhere in this McCall police issue warning McCALL —A warning to under - a ^e snowmachine operators using the machines on State Highway 55 or McCall city streets has been is- sued by McCall Police Chief Bill Acer, who advises children under fourteen that citations will be is- sued if they are caught on public right -of -ways. Other snowmobile regulation violations are also being cited in the area by law enforce- ment officials, in an endeavor to protect the rights of complaining citizens. paper. The appropriation is tem• porary, pending approval of the annual appropriations budget in March. City police were instructed to enforce the city ordinance relating to snowmobile operation within the city limits by arresting violators. Most of the complaints received have involved operation of snow machines by chi`dren under 14, speeding and reckless driving. Council members noted that the or- dinance states ,that it shall be un- lawful for persons to knowingly per- mit, allow or encourage the oper- ation of a snowmobile by ai, Irv= under the age of fourteen -TWs• This ordinance has also been re- printed in full in this paper. In further discussion of the prob- lem, it was felt by the Council that the Snowmobile Club and dealers would have`to help enforce the reg- ulations, which were drawn up jointly by them and the City Board, or further restrictions would be nec essary. Star-News 6/3/71 County, city, and police officials hear of court system difficulties McCall —An early Wednes- day meeting at Shore Lodge in- voived District Four Magistr- ate Administrator Judge War- ren Gilmore, Senator Warren Brown, Valley County Magis- trate J.L. Schoenhut, McCall city council members, county official's and Cascade, and Mc- Call police, in an attempt to work out difficulties encoun- tered under the present magis- trate court system. The McCall police have been experiencing difficulties oib- taining immediate signed war- rants for misdemeanor charges, as a warrant' for this type of physical arrest must be signed by the magistrate, located in Cascade. Judge Gilmore said that he would ask the Idaho supreme court for a magistrate of limit- ed jurisdiction to serve in Mc- Call, who couI'd be someone on the city payroll and have au- thority to sign this type of war- rant, as well as take lawfull guilty pleas, post bond and accept bonds and certain traf- fic violation fines. He noted that the supreme court is aware of the problems in McCall, as well as in other places in Idaho. It was also stated that, be- fore McCall could have a re- sident magistrate, the city would have to provide adequ- ate judicial chambers, court- room and certain court facilit- ies. 4, 13121 Six arrested for McCall breakin McCall —Four Boise men and two juveniles were ar- rested in McCall late last Wed- nesday afternoon, in connection with the May 24th burglary of Noel's Grocery, and charged with first degree burglary. The juveniles, ages 16 and 17, were released to custody of their parents, and the other four, Wendell Horner 19, Stev- en Buffington, 21, Richard Hunt, 19, and Steven Hender- son, 19, were jailed in Cascade overnight and arraigned be- fore magistrate J.L. Schoenhut on May 27th. All except Buf- fington were released on $100 bond each. Buffington, who had been arrested in McCall on May 25th on a citizen's com- plaint of reckless driving, was also jailed that night and re- leased Wednesday on $50 bond. This charge was refunded June 1st, and Buffington released again on $100 bond in connect - 'on with the second burglary charge. A preliminary hearing in the case has been set for July 2nd. Police officers Bill Acker and Dick Nesbitt were assited by Valley County and state officers with the arrest, and Acker noted Tuesday that in- vestigation into the case is continuing. Star-News 2/3/72 Officer resigns from. McCall police force MCCALL-- Arrests of local and out -of -town juveniles in connection with three separate weekend in- cidents, hospitalization of a Kent, Wn. woman with injuries sustained in an early Sunday snowmobiling mishap, and the resignation of McCall police officer Dick Nesbitt were all reported by police chief Bill Acker this week. Five McCall youths will appear in magistrate court in connection with the alleged February 3rd theft of a utility vehicle owned by Bob Christopher from in front of the Yacht. Club. The vehicle was picked up near Weiser by state police officers later that day and returned to McCall by deputy sheriff Chuck Nelson. Two additional juveniles were arrested Tuesday in connection with the Sunday theft of a snowmobile belonging to Gary Smith, McCall, and will also ap- pear in magistrate court. In a third incident involoving minors, four Treasure Valley ,youths were Oliver reportedly came out of the alley adjacent to the Sears store and skidded into the parked Carson vehicle near the Texaco station on Hgwy. 55. Both vehicles were damaged. Another traffic incident was a Saturday afternoon fire in a south- bound pickup camper owned by an unidentified Boisean, which resulted in a subsequent explosion after the vehicle had pulled in to' Noel's Grocery lot. No injuries resulted. The resignation of Richard Nesbitt, McCall police officer for the past two and a half years, was accepted "with regret" by Chief Acker Tuesday. Nesbitt has received an appointment to Lewiston assignment with the Idaho Department of Liquor Law and Investigation effective March 1, and will leave McCall within the next few days. A subsequent replacement appointment will be „ made by Acker pending City Council approval, arrested by McCall officer Norm Thompson and state liquor law enforcement officers Loren Whitney and Stan MacKenzie Saturday night and charged with breaking and entering and liquor law violation. The arrest followed investigation of a reported cabin entry in the Quaker Hill area. Mrs. Pat Oliver, 24, of Kent, Washington was reported in "satisfactory" condition Tuesday following surgery for a leg fracture sustained when her snowmobile hit the side of a pickup owned by Gaines Carson in downtown Me- Call early Sunday morning. Mrs. Star-News 4/20/72 McCall police review dog problems at special meeting force, made up of volunteers who MCCALL —In a special session met with police chief Bill Acker to would work directly with the last week the McCall City Council hear police department recom regular officers, mainly during summer months and weekends. Applications for reserve ap- pointment should be made to Acker. who will refer them to the Council for review. The police department also requested cumulative sick leave at one day per month with no loss unless used, and a minimum of six paid holidays per year, both provisions similar to present state law enforcement practice. In other business, the Council e agreed to locate the new city library building at the south end of Second Street, the present site of the American Legion Hall, providing suitable space can be provided for the, Legion and that organization's approval is secured. The city has agreed to make space available for the Legion, even- tually in a new city complex, when the old building is torn down. 1/ -Qo /7L mendations on control of dogs within the city limits, including increase in dog License fees, in- stitution of a kennel license in cases where more than three dogs are kept, employment of a part - time dog catcher, and construction of a holding pen in which to keep picked up dogs before turning them over to a vet to be destroved. Police commissioner Francis Wallace was asked to meet with the city police to work out solutions and make recommendations back to the Council for action. A go -ahead was given to Chief Acker to form a working resew Star-News 9/28/72 Police car damaged in mishap dCCALL —The almost -new ;Call Police Department patrol r became the unintended iaway victim of a Payette Lakes tuber Co. truck early Sunday ernoon, when the unoccupied ck rolled downhill from the dley Sports parking lot and ashed into the rear end of the •ked official vehicle, occupied special duty auxiliary officer an Hogge. An estimated $474 in nages was incurred to the latter a result of the mishap. 'he incident, which occured on vate property near the in- section of Hgwy. 55 and East rk Street, possibly averted more ious consequences to several s and persons at the nearby Red !er Drive -Inn, according to ice chief Bill Acker, who said nday that no citation had been Star-News 3/8/73 Traffic, land, dogs subjected to discussion MCCALL— Traffic control recommendations, land appraisals dog ordinance changes, and city employee benefits were among business brought before the McCall City Council during its regular March session Monday night. Councilmen agree to several traffic control recommendations by Police Chief Bill Acker, including posting of "yield the right of way" signs at the Hemlock - Roosevelt and Thompson - Davis Street intersections, and installation of rubber street boundary markers and an ad- ditional stop sign at 1st and Hwy. 55, near the 76 station. They also okayed installation of a curb between the Western Store and Yacht Club, with a curb cut for the Chamber of Commerce building. Appraisals of four tracts of land made recently at the request of the McCall - Donnelly School District and Burton Walker for possible trades were studied and taken under advisement by the Council. They were $16,900 for five acres of school property next to the football field and Idaho Street; $36,050 for 15.8 acres of city property south of the McCall cemetery; $15,000 for five acres owned by Walker near the sewer lagoons; and $20,200 for a 90 -foot Park Street frontage near the new library, also owned by Walker. The Council voted to change the city dog or- dinance to a $10. fee for kennel and unspayed female licenses from the present $25 charge, discussed the possibility of building a fire house on East Lake Blvd., heard a recommendation from the city library board to hire librarian Martha Chitwood on a monthly rather than hourly basis, and noted that library completion is pending arrival of shelving and some electrical work. In other business, the board reviewed recommendations for vacations, holidays, salary schedules and insurance for city employees, compared with Boise and state programs, and approved a beer and wine license for Dewey's, Inc. at the present Arco statio effective in May. Star-News 5/10/73 Police chief interviews continue MCCALL-City Council members learned Monday that eight applications for the position of Police Chief were received, and that two ap- pplicants were scheduled for final interviews (last) Wednesday night. An announcement of the appointment will be made in the near future. Zoning Commission chairman Bob Scoles appeared during the regular May Council session to present a new building permit procedure and mobile home ordinance to replace present ones. The Commission's proposals were referred to city attorney Bob Remaklus. County Assessor Jim Nisula requested that the city annex certain lots on the north limits, as part of the lots are in and part outside the present established boundary, and A.L. Krivor requested annexation of the Lake'Forest addition, 95 lots adjacent to Thompson -Woody Subdivision No. 2. Krivor agreed to re -plat the subdivision and bring it up to city requirements. Library commissioner Jim Hardy announced that the meeting room in the new public library " has been made available for use as a court room on Friday afternoons, and residents with traffic tickets may appear there each Friday from 2 p.m, on. In other business, all bids on a city police car were rejected, a request from Goodman Oil Company for additional curb space at the 76 stztion heard, and a beer and wine license granted to new McCall Star-News 5/17/73 New city, county law officers Dupty M. Blair Shepherd The appointment of M. Blair Shepherd, 45, of McCall as Valley County deputy sheriff, ef- fective May 1st, was revealed Monday by the sheriff's office. The appointment was made by the Valley County commissioners. Deputy sheriff Shepherd has had previous law enforcement experience as a Sonora, California city patrolman in 1957 -58, and as San Mateo, California County deputy coroner between 1948 and 1957. He attended several F.B.I. short :ourses at that time. A former owner of funeral homes in California, anyon County and Gooding, he recently pur- nased the Conifer Cabins overnight ac �modations in McCall. He is a World War II ieran of the U.S. Navy medical corps and a ensed mortician. He and his wife, Ina, have o sons in the McCall school system. s. F a At` l Police Chief Perkins MCCALL:New McCall Chief of Police is James D. Perkins, 46, who began his official duties Monday after accepting the City Council appointment last Wednesday night. Mr. Perkins, a veteran of 15 years' law en- forcement experience, replaces William H. Acker, who died unexpectedly on April 11th. An Idaho State Police corporal in Idaho Falls, Salmon and Pocatello between 1955 and 1965, the new chief also served as a patrolman and motorcycle traffic officer with the Pocatello Police Department between 1950 and 1954, and as a Union Pacific Railroad security officer for one year. For the past eight years he has been in non - law enforcement employment until accepting a security officer position in St. Cloud, Minnesota in 1972. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran of World War II. Mr. Perkins is a native of Council. He is a member of the Lutheran Church, Masonic and Shrine orders, and a past Salmon American Legion Post cornmander. He and his wife, Helene, have moved to McCall. Star-News 6/7/73 McCall police chief asks that four-way stop be changed MCCAL.L,— Police Chief Jim Perkins requested permission from the City Council Monday night to remove the four -way stop sign at 2nd and Lenore Streets, and replace it with stop signs on Lenore Street only. He noted that drivers have been confused regarding proper left turns, and that uphill 2nd street traffic would face problems when the street becomes slick. Perkins also told the councilmen that the 1st Street -Hwy. 55 intersection is becoming congested, and that a study should be made of present parking in front of the Yacht Club. He suggested a 25 mph speed limit, a 5 mph increase from the present limit, unless otherwise posted, On city streets and made recommendations regarding the function and duties of the police auxiliary and for possible installation of a radio rePeater on Brundage Mtn. for communication With Meadows Valley and Council. H do H Construction Co. requested approval of the entire proposed 110 Wildwood condominium units on South Mission Street, which was rejected until complete plans are submitted. ,Permits were granted for an additional two units this time, in addition to a permit granted last for one, now nearly completed, with the tter referred to the zoning board. Council bers also requested additional information location of sewer pumps and city obligations condominium development. unofficial selling price of $92,675.32 for 11 Memorial Hospital, with payment to be in five equal installments and continued tion on a year -to -year lease purchase i until final payment is made, was projected by the Council. They had tenatively agreed at an earlier meeting with the county commissioners to repair the roof, install a sprinkler system for fire protection, upgrade the kitchen, retire the existing hospital bond, and be changed make certain other improvements in lieu of the purchase price. City attorney Bob Remaklus said that the new proposal would be presented to the commissioners for possible other arbitration before any final agreement is made. Airport manager Bob Fogg told councilmen that $1,422 net profit from airport courtesy car rental would be turned back to the State Aeronautics Board and that airport contracts with Intermountain West, the Forest Service and other airport usesers would be completed in the near future. In other business, the Council took under advisement a trailer court and a tree - cutting ordinance, and made plans for a public hearing regarding vacating a city plat and annexing property in the Forest Hills Subdivision area into the city. Council members were advised that a Boise law firm is handling the sale of the Stover Property to the city, as, evidently, a prior sale by Mrs. Stover involved part of the land she also sold to the city, due to an apparent error in the earlier sale. The land in question is part of the city purchase adjacent to the new public library. Star-News 8/30/73 Policemen receive new uniforms MCCALL —City police oll from left standing, Dave Il Chuck Holtz and Jim Boyd Chief Jim Perkins, seated, at wearing new regulation la forcement "blues" while on All of the policemen assume city posts this late sprint summer. Star-News 11/1/73 Patrolman Lyon Police officer appointed MCCALL —John L. Lyon, 29, formerly of Boise, was appointed a member of the McCall City Police Department by Chief Jim Perkins last Wednesday. Mr. Lyon is a veteran of six years'service with the Boise City Police Department, four years in the uniform division, one on downtown patrol and one in the vice and narcotics division, where he attained the rank of specialist. A boise native and Borah High School graduate, he was a member of the Air National Guard for six years and is a former Boise State College judo instructor with a Nidan classification in judo. He and his wife and seven year old son have moved to McCall. The new patrolman replaces Jim Boyd, who resigned October 16th. Star-News 6/20/74 Police Department reorganized; Lyon named new chief MCCALL—Former city police sergeant John Lyon was of- ficially appointed acting department chief by the City Council Monday to replace Chief Jim Perkins. The Council also named officer Dennis Porter as acting sergeant and Sid Post as new patrolman. Chief Lyon, who joined the local department last October, was then a veteran of six years' Adinq Chief John Lyon service with the Boise City Police, where he had attained the rank of specialist in the vice and narcotics division. Sergeant Porter, initially appointed to the department only last month, has several years' previous law enforcement ex- perience and training in California. Patrolman Post, 34, has seven years' experience with the Torrance, California police department, primarily in patrol, records and communications divisions. He is also a graduate of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Academy and attended El Camino College for two years. He and his wife and two young daughters moved to McCall a year ago and he has since been employed in the construction business. He is a member of the McCall Area Jaycees. Porter, who with Chief Lyon will coordinate an intensive reserve officer training program, indicated Tuesday that the eight active reserve officers now have uniforms, official badges and identification, and are permitted to carry firearms. The training, patterned after that used by the L.A. Sheriff's Academy and the Idaho Police Academy, will emphasize at- taining complete qualification to handle emergency situations, and will involve several sessions, two already completed. Reserve officers are now on volunteer status for regular weekend and other busy period patrol shifts, supervised by regular officers, and are paid only when called for emergen- cies. Patrolman Sid Post Star-News 10/24/74 Larry Olson Policeman appointed MCCALL -The appointment of Larry Olson, 31, formerly of Payette, to the city police department staff, effective October 21st, was announced that day by Chief John Lyon. The new officer replaces Dave Myers, who resigned due to an un- correctable physical disability, and was hired from among numerous applicants. Patrolman Olson, a native of Payette, has Idaho law en- forcement certification through the Police Officers Standard Training Academy in Pocatello and also attended the Clark County, Nevada police academy in Las Vegas. He previously served four years with the Air Force military police, two and half years with the Las Vegas city police dept., and over a year on the Payette city force. Star-News Nov 17, 1982 Chief : No mercy for illegal cars One thing is certain, McCall Police Chief John Lyon said Monday: "It's going to snow again." That means vehicles are to be off the streets between 2 and 7 a.m. every day so the roads are cleared for plowing. Lyon said there has been confusion in the past about vehicles left in the road. The department has no policy about what will happen to a vehi- cle left in the street, he said, explaining it is totally an officer - discretion situation. "There is no guarantee you'll get a warning first," Lyon said. "There is no guarantee you'll get a citation next or your car will be impound- ed." The police department's responsibility is to remove cars for plowing, Lyon said, not for removing the snow. That responsibility lies with the city crew, headed by Larry Chalfant, so Lyon recommends that anyone with pro- blems or complaints about plowing contact the city office. Lyon said the 2 -7 a.m. policy is in effect every night from Nov. 1 until the roads are clear of snow. One of the problems in the past may have been that officers enforced the policy at bad snow times and backed off other times, Lyon said. This year that will, change and officers will be working on the situation every night. "Because of the magnitude of the problem, we've got to have those cars moved," he said. A way for people to know if their vehicles are in the roadway is Lyon's "pole to pole" rule. Any vehicle sitting between power poles is in the way of the snowplow. Lyon warned about leaving a vehicle parked with the tail end sticking out. There is a strong likelihood, he said, that the plower will not see the tail end and "a good chance it will be wiped out by the plow." Lyon plans to strongly advise the judge to charge $35 plus court costs for anyone cited for violating the parking regulation. Owners of vehicles that are towed will be charged $27.50 before they are able to get the vehicle back. Lyon said that last year impounds cost citizens more than_ $1,000 a month. The police department gets only $2.50 per impound to cover paperwork with $25 going to the private wrecker. "Personally, I wouldn't come out at 3 a.m., warm up a cold wrecker and crawl underneath a snowy car and tow it away and then go back to bed and try to go back to sleep for $25," Lyon said. "I'm not sure I would do it for $125 so I don't begrudge the wrecker their fee." One problem in the past has been guests visiting city residents. Lyon said the resident may not make a provision for the guest's car and there is no way an officer in the middle of the night can tell which house the person is in. "I never saw a person as irate as someone woken up at 3 in the morning about a vehicle he has nothing to do with," he said. "People are going to have to provide off - street parking for their out-of -town guests." There is only one legitimate reason'to have a vehicle parked in the street during snowplow- ing hours, Lyon said, and that is the car has broken down and the police department ha,, been notified. "And that's only good for one night," he said "The bottom line is to call us." While police are responsible for safety, Lyoc said the city crew spreads sand during thr winter months. He asked that people with re quests or complaints about sanding call Chal fant at the city office, 634 -7142. Another problem Lyon sees occurring this year is people waiting too long to make ar rangements for private snow removal. Pur dum Brothers is not plowing . the McCall are<. this winter and Rowland Brothers is asking foi a $100 deposit, Lyon said. He encourages residents to be sure their snowplowing arrangements are made. Lyon also suggested that people be sure their trash cans and newspaper boxes are out of th( line of the plow. "Once the plow hits it, it's gone," he said. Anyone wishing more information about the police policy about vehicles in the road during_ snowplowing hours can call the station. 634 -7144. PAGE A -5- -THE STAR - NEWS -- WEDNESDAY, JAN. 12,19K City may add police unit Spreading the payments and buying a, used police car received general'approval last week from McCall city councilmember §. The city this year set aside $5,000 of revenue sharing funds to buy a. used patrol unit. Check- ing costs of vehicles that would work as police cars, the police chief and commissioner found none in the $5,000 range. Councilman Cliff Lutes, police commissioner, told other councilmembers last Monday night that- the city could buy a 1981 LTD Ford with about 20,000 miles from a rental company in Boise for $6,800. Since not that much was budgeted this year, Lutes asked if the council would be receptive to leasing the car for nine months and making a final balloon payment Oct. 1. This could be done if the city set aside $2,000 of revenue sharing money in its next budget, he said. The council gave general approval subject to a review of the lease- purchase agreement by the city attorney. Councilman Ernie Ward said he has heard the department drives vehicles about 100,000 miles a year,, "That's: excessive mileage," Ward said. "I figure that, by the day and hour, that's an awful lot. You're, still within the city limits." The mileage could be divided between two Vehicles with two cars, Lutes said. At an earlier meeting, Lutes said the city is down to almost one car, since the backup needs repairs. Carl Whitaker, McCall resident, suggested the police restrict travel during the daytime, noting that, other than accidents, the business area needs to be patrolled from 11 p.m. until 8 a.m. and officers could be rotated. Star-News 6/12/85 Ex -McCall cops rap police chief By Randall Brooks Cleave. Both later took jobs The Star -News under Valley County Sheriff Former officers for the McCall Police Department have joined with former McCall Sgt. Larry Olson in criticism of McCall Chief John Lyon's management practices. In his letter of resignation in May after 10' /z years of service, Olson urged the McCall City Council to consider why so many men had left the McCall depart- ment for work outside of law en- forcement or for other law en- forcement agencies. In the past four years, eight of- ficers have resigned from the department. Five of those policemen, Ray Earls, Don Broughton, Don Van Cleave, Lewis Pratt, and most recently Olson, are now working as deputies for the Valley County Sheriff's Department in Cascade. Three other officers, R.C. Jackson, Ron Pomerinke and -Roger Rockwell, have left law en- forcement and are living outside the area. Broughton, a seven -year resi- dent of McCall, said in an inter - view that he considers the opera- tion of the city's police depart - Inent of primary importance. After last week's city council ineeting, where discussion on the department's policies was defer- red, Broughton said he was not surprised by the efforts of the city council to avoid the controversy "It's very typical of what I've seen the council do in the past," Broughton said. He said the city police depart- ment's recent personnel evalua- tions, which define workload by -the types and number of citations written, is not proper law en- forcement. "I'm disgusted if that is in fact their policy," Broughton said. "If that's being promoted by the police chief, it's time he steps down ... he's not being effective anymore." "I think it's time they bring in some fresh new ideas from the outside," he said. Broughton left the department in 1982 at the same time as Van Blair Shepherd at a reduced wage. He said he felt he was forced out because Lyon made working conditions so severe. "I felt I was 'forced out," Broughton said. "He labeled me as a troublemaker. Now all the troublemakers are gone, but the trouble remains," he said. He said Lyon would tell an of- ficer to do things one way on such things as impounding vehicles to clear for snow removal, then later change the policy when someone complain- ed. "John wouldn't back you up," he said. Personal differences ap- parently aren't at issue with Broughton. "I've always liked John, he was my judo instructor in Boise," he said. "I get along well with John when he's not in uniform. "Then it's very different ... he's always spoken very highly of himself, he is the king," Broughton said. "His CB handle is King Kong." Earls, who was the first of the eight to leave the department in 1981, was a McCall police officer for one year. He said the deciding reason for his resignation was a letter Lyon had written outlining duties of the officers. "He made it very plain that I was the dog catcher and everyone else was a policeman," Earls said. "Up to that point, I had been doing both." Earls said that at the time, he had more experience in larger police departments than Lyon, and that he held the only advanc- ed training certificate in Valley County. "I had advanced (police academy training), he had basic," Earls said. "That didn't set very well with him ... with that, I got $8,000 less than everyone else." Earls also said that obtaining new equipment or getting new ideas into policy also was dif- ficult. "He just wasn't very happy with me," he said. "Anything I did (he considered) some kind of ... California idea." He said two of those ideas, hanging clip boards on the wall at the station and creating boxes for officers to receive mail, are still used. Pratt, who resigned from the McCall police in September 1984, said three years of night duty and being the only dog catcher while his wife worked an opposite shift soured him on the department. "We tried to.- get him to ap- proach the council to get so- meone else to handle dogs," Pratt said. "But he wouldn't even bother to ask. John's a hell of a person, but as an ad- ministrator he lacks a lot of qualities." Pratt said he considered himself a victim of cir- cumstances, but had seen Lyon pick on other department employees, such as Ron Pomerinke, who worked in the McCall force from August 1982 until February 1984. "After I left, John gave him straight night shifts and dog du- ty," he said. "After about 30 days, he could see the writing on the wall." Pratt agreed with Broughton as far as the city council's control of the department. "As far as the council goes, it's going to be the same," Pratt said. "The policy seems to be low key -- duck their heads." The Star-News 6/12/85 Page #1 of 2 Pages Lyon won't resign, welcomes city probe By Randall Brooks The Star -News . McCall Police Chief John Lyon said Monday that he's not about to give up his job, but in- stead welcdmes an investigation of department policies. • , Next week, Lyon will celebrate his 1 I th year as McCall's police chief in the midst of a public tur- moil over several issues that was touched off with the resignation last month of McCall Police Sgt. Larry Olson. ' Olson's resignation plus citizen allegations of overzealous en- forcement of traffic and drunk driver laws has packed two con- secutive McCall City Council meetings with protesters. But Lyon, who has been no stranger to controversy over his years in McCall, said in an inter- view that he is urging the city council to do an investigation in- to McCall's traffic enforcement. John Lyon and that he has no intention of stepping down under pressure. "Anyone who thinks the department is running me doesn't know me very well," Lyon said. "Only the city council runs me. "I believe the people of McCall want me to be their police chief," Lyon said. "But just by the nature of my line of work, there's a certain element out there that doesn't want me." Lyon said he believes he's been a good chief and has bceh good for the community. "I've invested 12 years of my life here," he said. "I'll continue that as long as I can." He said cards, letters and per- sonal contacts from various citizens in the last week have con- vinced him to remain in his job. He said he hopes to be working for the city of McCall for another nine years, until the day he is eligible to retire from police work. "I've been offered other jobs in law enforcement, but haven't even been able to consider it," he said. Although his house is for sale, Lyon said that's just to get out from under its financial obliga- tions. He said he would quickly build another house in town. As he considered the current round of criticism, Lyon reflected on the other struggles he has faced during his police career. He entered police work in 1967 after a job at Boise State University as a judo instructor with a second -de ree black belt. He took the police test on what amounted to a dare from Bob Taylor, a fellow instructor who taunted Lyon that he couldn't pass the test. "Because of my competitive nature, I had to take the test," he said. Before that, he had been an equipment operator and fence builder, including taking part in the building of the scenic log fences along Idaho 21 in the Stanlev Basin. He took the test ana soon went to work for the Boise Police Department, where he gained ex- perience as a night shift burglar patrol officer, a traffic officer on the day shift, and served on a special radar patrol. "At one time Norm March and I held a department record for giving 100 citations on a single day," Lyon remembered about his radar patrol. Lyon said he also served as a vice and narcotics officer for Boise Police for a time before go- ing back to patrol work. Family problems and a subse- quent divorce led to his resigna- tion, and in October of 1973, he took a job with the McCall police force. Just eight months later, Jim Perkins, who had been McCall's chief for little more than a year, was shot to death by Idaho State Police officers 14 miles south of Cascade after Perkins apparently went berserk and led officers on a bizarre shooting spree in McCall and a high speed chase on Idaho SS. A couple of days later, Lyon, who had already gained the rank of sergeant, was named as the new police chief by the city coun- cil. "They just took me aside and said -- you will be the new police chief," Lyon said. "I never aspired to be a chief of police. I only wanted to be a good police officer." Since that time, Lyon said the department has been in a cons- tant state of change that has in- cluded both good and bad times for McCall policemen. He said the definition of good law enforcement is continuously changing because public expecta- tions change from year to year, depending upon what kind of problems you have and what type The Star-News 6/12/85 Page #2 of 2 Pages of job the people want. "I've always felt you're juggl- ing," he said. "You try to apply the law in a way that's acceptable to both sides of the fence." He said two situations that have led to changing law enforce- ment tactics in recent years are in- creased traffic and the start of Valley County Magistrate's Court hearings in McCall a year ago. "It's only been in recent years you had to wait at an intersection to get onto the highway," Lyon said. He'explained that, in the past, officers felt it was like adding in- sult to injury to ask people to drive to Cascade to pay a cita- tion. "Years ago, I'd have rather taken a whipping than issue a citation." he said. He said another factor that has changed his approach to law en- forcement over the years has been the degree of contact with the city council. "We had times where the council made no contact with the police department at all -- huge periods of time," Lyon said. "They'd just look at me and say, 'Go run your department.' " He credits the fact that Mayor Clyde Archer invited him to at- tend city council meetings for what he calls a good understan- ding with the present council. "They know me now. Mayor Archer let me have the privilege of contact with the council," he said. "That . should have been done a long time ago." Contact with business operators peoples is another area that Lyon has seen change.. --I'-Z o-f2 fagC-s Years ago, his policy was that officers should spend 30 percent of their time in coffee shops and other businesses talking to the public. As chief, he was a president of the Idaho Police Chief's Associa- tion, a member of the Region III Law Enforcement Planning Commission,. and a member of a state law enforcement committee appointed by Gov. John Evans. He also served actively in the McCall (Payette Lakes) Rotary Club and McCall Area Promo- tions group in McCall. In August 1983 a grievance fil- ed by other police officers led to a commissioned review by Boise consultant R. W. Christensen of Lyon's police administration policies, One recommendation by Christensen said Lyon should go back to the streets and be a work- ing police chief. After writing over 160 citations during 1984, he feels he has done that. "I won't take a back seat to any policeman," he said. "What the business people are saying now is to go back to the law enforcement policies of two years ago," Lyon said. "Applica- tion of law enforcement is my job. You have to keep figuring that application at some middle ground." Lyons said he met last week with officials of the McCall Chamber of Commerce officials last week. "Their basic request is that I step back in time, .myself, to where I was very responsive to business," he said. "That's one of the things I was chastised for in the Christensen report." The Star-News 6/26/85 City backs chief Lyon Randall Brooks The Star -News ments still remain this !en the McCall Police t, the McCall City nd a group calling the Citizens Action the council has gone in support of Police Lyon. I, a spokesman for the lashed out at Lyon's e at a heated council Wednesday, said the ote of support had o clear the air. members recessed tg citizens' concerns alanced both in favor current police tactics "embers then return - iey would move into !d to both allega, gdoing and praise ment's traffic en- Davis Street that ith verbal attacks rious parties. He council to make a the council to w," he said. let me do my an hour, citizens e for an answer. executive session, fiber Bill Crowley council, supporting ng complete support policies and his cur - mt, but advising the concerns of Ward's group would be answered. "At this time, we have no in- tention of consolidating with the Valley County Sheriff's Depart- ment," Crowley said. "We, as a council, will address an investiga- tion and come to a conclusion on the concerns that were expressed here tonight. "We will begin immediately to address some of the problems and come up with remedial action if required of all these concerns by a certain date," Crowley said. Mayor Clyde Archer said Tues- day that Lyon, council members Larry Craig and Cliff Lutes, City Attorney Bob Remaklus, and Ci- ty Administrator Jim Smith would join him this morning to go over the group's list of allega- tions, which were not available Tuesday. The police department was again scheduled for discussion on the agenda of Monday's city council meeting scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at McCall City Hall. Ward had begun the controver- sial meeting Wednesday, which was once again overcrowded by concerned residents, as a spokesman for a group which had met informally on June I1 with Archer and Craig. She asked Archer if a list of questions raised at that meeting had been answered. Archer said he had made several calls, but Craig said that because members of the council had beeli' attending an Associa tion of Idaho Cities Convention in Coeur d' Alene, they had not (Continued on Page A -2) K;onnnued from paig a review, the Christensen had time to .enough problems as a group rt," she said referring to a 3 evaluation of the police Archer said his notes made 'at the meeting were vague and asked ::,department that has not been made public. "That was supress- Ward to write out a list of the. ed." questions. Ward, however, said citizens Others who expressed concerns about Lyon's performance in- had come to the meeting to talk about the problems. Lyon agreed cluded Shore Lodge manager John Edwards'and former Mc- to respond to questions from the floor. Call policeman Don Broughton, Ernie Woods of The who is now a Valley County Sheriff's deputy. Woodsman Motel began by ask- "The way he's run his depart- ing Lyon if it were true that the ment in the past few months has citation rate in McCall had risen from 20 raised a lot of dissension," Ed- per year to 120 per month earlier this year. "Astronomical wards said. "Whether it's deserv- ed or not, we're still getting a rot - jumps like that ten name in the valley." are just not true," said Lyon, who also said he could not im- Edwards also complained that McCall policemen did not visit mediately provide the actual figures. "I think a 30 percent in- the Shore Lodge regularly and that he had heard stories about crease is about right." Sensing the tone of questions the "Mexican cop," referring to Officer Elias Leija, but had never to come, City Attorney Bob Remaklus immediately advised met him. "I haven't met him, I don't know what he's about," he the council that if the meeting said. was an informational hearing leading to discharge of Lyon, He said that if you want to see the McCall police, you have to go then due process of the law would to the The Pancake House. have to be followed. "This Lyon countered by saying he is not a trial or a hear- and his officers had contact with ing," Ward said. "It's strictly for information. Let's get it out, let's the Shore Lodge often and that it get it out in the open. was a nightly patrol stop. Something he had been criticized "The unhappiness is that there for in the past was policing it too heavily, he sai0 that his officers ha co motel often. "r "You haven't spoken to m two years, John Lyon," Ed said. Broughton began by cr examining Lyon about his police'?`°°'po t credentials, philosophy of law en- spec, forcement, and about how many Road. :. current McCall officers are city Other's property taxpayers. Kathy Rife,I He also questioned if Lyon Ganzert, Job'-- knew that police cars were leav- Van KomIen,'' ing the city limits. Copenhaver,'a" Lyon answered by saying that Both Bill H. cars were allowed to leave the city Hagerman spok on training trips and during balanced appr` special events or emergencies. issue rather than= Broughton asked about Lyon's mass hysteria. knowledge of laws concerning "This is a g ' warrant service and if he knew throw a lot of warrants were to be returned to and bury the to the court if not served after two "If you're goingg years. hunt against Joti" "There is a number of war- great way to do i n rants currently still in your files," Hagerman sai Broughton said. "The court is unlikely groups h without those files now." the police issue, He cited a specific instance cluded those who n. where he had been denied access, resigned McCal r as an officer working for McCall, Olson, those to serve a warrant issued in 1980. removal of the cit C "You're lying," Lyon said. tax, or who had "You're a bald -faced liar." He said the tact' Lyon said Monday that the media attention & warrant in question had been productive for the- rei Star News 1/2/85 Page #1 of 2 Pages 1984 The Year In Review CRIME Crime wave shakes McCall By Randall Brooks The Star-News While it wasn't much by "big city" standards, the McCall Police Department was kept plen- ty busy during 1984 with several rare crimes as well as an unusual string of residential and business burglaries. By the end of the year, an arm- ed robbery and many of the burglaries had been cleared by Chief John Lyon's department, but robbers of the Idaho First National Bank in McCall were still at large. The small -town crime wave began early, on Jan. 6, when of- ficers were called to the city's first armed robbery in many years at the Circle R convenience store. Cash was taken at gunpoint from a store cashier and the rob- ber fled. But one -half hour later, a Valley County Sheriff's deputy had taken a McCall man mat- ching the robber's description in- to custody. Three loaded hand- guns, a loaded rifle, ammunition and cash were recovered from the car. Danny Lee Olin, 25, was charged with robbery, use of a firearm in the commission of a robbery, and aggravated assault. On March 20, a Valley County jury found Olin guilty of armed robbery and use of a firearm in commission of a robbery. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison under the state's indeterminate sentence law, but was released later in the year after successfully RevieW completing terms of the sentence. McCall's other first came about 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 24, when a lone gunman entered the Idaho First National Bank, show- ed an on -duty teller a note, displayed a gun, and left with an undisclosed amount of cash. Witnesses said an accomplice may have been in a getaway car. That car later was found aban- doned less than one block from the bank. McCall police Sgt. Larry Olsen wave was less than one block away at Caime the time the call came in and went to the bank, as did officer Lewis Pratt, but not in time to allow any pursuit. Lyon, at the Lardo Grill and Saloon at the time, also tried to respond to the call. But someone had jammed toothpicks into the door locks of his patrol car, fore - ing him to break the window with a hammer to gain entry. Officers in Valley, Idaho, Washington, and Adams coun- ties were notified and an air search was sent up, but the bank robbers avoided capture. After an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation linked him to the robbery, a federal fugitive warrant was issued by the FBI in early November for Paul Robert Tetzlaff, 45. If caught and con - victed, Tetzlaff could serve up to 25 years in federal prison. Summertime was burglary time in McCall in 1984, as a wave of both business and residential Photo by Tom Grote McCall officers inspect weapons from Circle R robbery, The Star-News 1/2/85 Page #2 of 2 Pages The criminal docket forMcCall in 1984 included a rare armed robbery, the first bank robbery in recent history and an unheard -of rash of home and business burglaries. burglaries kept Lyon's in- vestigators baffled from May un- til late September. At least 27 separate incidents were reported by The Star -News. The first major spree began in late May and by the first week of June, involved cash removed from businesses such as The Star - News, Danish Mill Bakery, Si Bueno, Bill's Gas and Grocery, Wooden Horse Boutique and The Mill restaurant. On Aug. 29, burglars again entered The Star -News and Danish Mill Bakery, taking petty cash and a police radio scanner from The Star -News and cash from the Danish Mill. The Hong Chow Restaurant in downtown McCall also was burglarized that night. When a floor safe containing an undisclosed amount of cash was taken from the Aspen Market, a group of McCall businessmen formed a night watch patrol to supplement police surveillance. A breakthrough in the crime spree came on Sept. 22 when two McCall businessmen on stakeout, Ron Goodman and Skip Woods, saw two juveniles entering the Red Steer Restaurant. Police were notified and the pair were arrested at the scene. The juveniles did not offer any resistance and within one hour, Lyon said 14 cases had been cleared by Officer Roger Rockwell. But on Oct. 20 -21, three more McCall businesses were burglarized. Included in that str- ing, where both cash and mer- chandise were taken, was Payette Lakes Lumber, Con- sumer Electronics and again The Mill restaurant. Three McCall men were ar- rested in September in connection with a pair of home burglaries, but no arrests have yet been made in connection with the remaining break -ins. The Star-News July 3, 1985 Police inquest finishes; policy changes urged By Randall Brooks The Star -News Four minutes into Monday's meeting, the McCall City Council was back in closed door session to discuss the future of Chief John Lyon and the McCall Police Department. An obviously unhappy group of about 30 people waited outside McCall City Hall for more than an hour while council members discussed an investigation of citizen allegations. Those allegations were presented during meetings last week attended by council members Cliff Lutes, Larry Craig, City Attorney Bob Remaklus, Mayor Clyde Archer, and City Administrator Jim Smith. After returning from executive session, Archer read a statement to the audience which said the in- vestigation of Lyon and the police department reached the following conclusions: • The mayor and council con- firm their support of Lyon and the department. • No grounds for reprimand were found. • The investigation was declared over. In addition, the statement directed Lyon to: • Maintain a more thorough personnel file on all employees. • Set up a tracking system on warrants to insure depositions. • Maintain a close relationship between the juvenile probation officer and McCall police officers and to promote juvenile training to all officers in the department. • Submit major policy deci- sions to the mayor and council prior to implementation. The council report also said that future complaints about Lyon and the police department must be submitted to the ` city clerk in writing, signed and dated by the complaining party and containing enough facts on which to base an investigation. Council members voted unanimously to accept the report. On Tuesday, Lutes said that after looking at the list of 12 -15 items submitted by a citizens group calling themselves the Citizens Action Group, many had proven to be unwarranted complaints or "just complete rumor." "Most were just someone's opinion," Lutes said. "About half of the complaints were in- cidents from people that had pro- blems with John Lyon in the past and wanted to get back at him ... I recognized that." Lutes said the police had made some mistakes, but the council could find no major blunders. Craig said the informal in- vestigation group had done as much as they could with the in- formation handed over to them by the citizens group. "We did about what we could do with the information we were given," Craig said. "It was most- ly hearsay -- no dates, times or specifics. "Most of it happened a long time ago," he said. "It was real hard to follow up on." Craig said he felt the investiga- tion process had done some good. " We're not going to satisfy everybody," Craig said. Pat Ward, spokesman for the citizens group, could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon. �ti'ew-5 3(A ly 3, lys The Star-News 7/24/85 County will take back McCall police dispatch By Bradley Blum The Star -News Valley County commissioners on Monday agreed to have the Valley County Sheriff's Depart- ment begin handling the dispat- ching duties for the McCall Police Department 24 hours a day at no charge. The sheriff's department had answered telephones and dispat- ched officers for McCall police 16 hours a day and on weekends and holidays until last October, when McCall signed a contract with the Adams County Sheriff's Department for dispatching ser- vices. At that time, there was an ongoing dispute over use of dispatching services between Mc- Call Police Chief John Lyon and city officials, and with Valley County Sheriff M. Blair Shepherd and the commissioners. The county had asked the city to begin paying for the service. But the McCall City Council signed a contract with Adams County for $10,600 per year after hearing that Valley County of- ficials wanted the city to pay $60,000 for dispatching. "If we're going to get a lot of guff from the McCall Police Department, it won't work," Commissioner Howard Koskella told McCall Mayor Clyde Archer and council members Larry Craig and Marion Johnson on Mon- day. The three came to the commis- sioner's meeting to request that the commission provide funding for the sheriff's department to handle the dispatching for Mc- Call Police. The increase in volume of telephone and radio work for deputies may mean a reduction in services by the sheriff's depart- ment, Shepherd said. After considerable discussion, Shepherd recommended that the commissioners order his depart- ment to provide dispatching for the McCall police. But he tempered his recommendation with a warning. "I'll do my very best to pro- vide services to McCall if you say you want me to ... We'll try, and if we have to cut services, we will," Shepherd said. He said that his department is currently about one -half of a position short of having the number of staff he thinks can handle the present workload. Shepherd said that he would need at least an additional $5,000 in his proposed 1985 -86 budget to cover the additional work without taking a deputy off some other duty. However, midway through the discussion, the commissioners showed the sheriff the tentative budget they had drawn up for his department. Not only is there no additional money for more manpower, the commissioners figure is $18,576 below what Shepherd had re- quested. Even without the additional dispatching work, Shepherd said that the commissioners' budget may require him to make cuts in his staff. "I didn't do any padding when 1 came up with that figure," he said of his requested budget of $388,042. "We're not looking at giving Blair money, we're looking at taking it away," Koskella told the McCall officials. Craig said he sympathized with the county's dilemma but he said that McCall had financial woes of its own. Despite the financial problems that the additional dispatching will create for the sheriff's department, both Shepherd and Koskella said that they preferred a consolidated dispatching system for the county's law en- forcement agencies to the present system. The Star-News 12/31/85 Photo by Tom Grote John Lyon Protestors brought pkccards to McCall City Council meeting. Lyon, policies come under fire By Randall Brooks The Star -News McCall Police Chief John Lyon made headlines several times during 1985 as he endured attacks before television news cameras by a citizens group of his departmental policies. During a series of city council meetings attended by overflow crowds, the McCall City Council tened to accusations that Mc- Call was getting a reputation for speed traps, which some citizens id had resulted from a traffic ticket quota system used by the chief to evaluate the work of police officers. Lyon also was criticized during ie summer budget process as he iw a $ 10, 800 contract let for Lyon and. Valley County Sheriff Blair Shepherd could not come to terms on the city's use of the county radio frequency. Dispatching was returned to the Valley County Sheriff's Department this year after Shepherd offered to take it back at no charge to the city -to help consolidate police services within the county: Two police department employees, Lt. Roger Rockwell and dispatcher Joy Catlin, joined a list of eight other McCall police department employees who had left during the past two years. The resignations gave fodder to the citizens group, which said that McCall was losing trained officers to other police depart- ,t, t, ho vvas not run- formanee of officers. An unfavorable -report under the system led to the resignation after 10' /z years of service of Sgt. Larry Olson, who also said he could not work with some of- ficers in the department and that Lyon was letting others tell him how to run things in the depart- ment. Lyon said he discontinued use Of the evaluation system as a result of the public pressure. Statements made in Olson 's resignation letter criticizing Lyon's administration of his department fueled a heated debate between angry citizens and the city council over Lyon's work as police chief. Olson went to work for the ,, a11ev Countv Sheriff's office in r,.,tr ether formal I investigation by the city council of an unpublished list of allega- tions. That investigation was under- taken after council members voted unanimously on June 24 to give Lyon a vote of confidence as police chief. The vote came after Lyon had asked council members to "either fire me or let me do my job." During the meeting, the coun- cil listened as supporters both for and against Lyon, who had been chief for 11 years, traded arguments on his performance. The investigation was held June 26 behind closed doors by City Attorney Bob Remaklus; Ci ty Administrator Jim Smith council member and police corn missioner Larry Craig, counci The Star-News March 5, 1986 Leija quits police force By Randall Brooks The Star -News The McCall City Council voted Monday night to accept the resignation of McCall Police Cpl. Elias Leija, who had asked to be relieved of his duties as of 10 a.m. Monday morning. In a separate vote, the council also chose by a 2 -1 vote not to replace Leija with a temporary appointment. The council decid- ed to wait for the results of a review of the city police depart- ment's workload that has been tentatively set for March 31. McCall Police Chief John Lyon said Leija did not state a reason for leaving the police force in his letter of resignation, which was received by the city ad- ministrator's office Monday morning. City Administrator Bud Schmidt said the resignation stems from impending disciplinary actions regarding an incident on Feb. 13 in which the windows of a McCall police car were broken while it was left unattended by Leija in Weiser. Leija's resignation comes on the heels of an investigation last week by the city administrator's office into circumstances sur- rounding the incident, which originally was reported by Leija to the Weiser Police Department and subsequently to Lyon and Schmidt. "Those circumstances have to do with possible improper uses of city time and equipment," Schmidt said Monday. Both Schmidt and Lyon declin- ed to comment futher on the nature of those circumstances. Weiser police reports show a hammer may have been used to break the windshield and driver's side window of the patrol car, a 1981 Ford. The report said the car was parked on East First Street between Idaho and Com- mercial streets in Weiser between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Lyon said Leija had been allowed to take the car to a three - day training seminar in Boise and was on his way back to McCall when the windows were broken. Leija had been placed on ad- ministrative leave with pay on Feb. 25 by Chief Lyon while the matter was investigated further by Schmidt, Lyon, and members of the McCall City Council. The investigation began after additional information concern- ing the incident was given to a city council member. Schmidt would not disclose which city council member was contacted or the name of the source. As a result of that investiga- tion, Leija was advised Friday he was suspended from duty, pend- ing a hearing in front of the city council that had been tentatively set for March 17, Schmidt said. Both he and Lyon said they could not comment further on details of the investigation, nor on the nature of the allegations which led to the suspension. McCall City Attorney Bob Remaklus also declined to com- ment, saying further disclosure of the incident would not be proper because Leija's resignation had precluded any appearance in his own defense before the council. Leija, 37, had been with the McCall Police Department since June of 1984 after serving a little over one year on the Weiser police force. At Monday's council meeting, council members Gary Van Komen and Cliff Lee voted against council member Larry uniform. Schmidt argued that the addi- tional officer was necessary, at least for a while, so that vacation and compensation time could be taken by other officers during the next few months, which are less busy for McCall police officers. Schmidt said the city may have problems covering all shifts without the replacement. "I can- not assure you we can protect the city 24 hours a day," he said. Craig said he was against eliminating the officer's Position while the police depart- ment review is conducted. "1 ran on a program of pro- moting health, welfare, and safe- ty for the community," Craig said Tuesday. "I don't think leaving off an officer is in the best interest." Craig said he favored leaving the department intact until an evaluation could be completed. He doubted whether eliminating the position would save the city any money when overtime pay was taken into account. "I don't think we need to walk around with a broken wing," he said. The Star-News 3/5/86 Release details of police probe The findings of an internal investigation into the ac- tions of former McCall Police Cpl. Elias Leija should be released to quash rash speculation and to set the record straight on what clearly is a matter of general public in- terest. Leija resigned on Monday rather than face charges stemming from a Feb. 13 incident in which windows in a police car he had taken out. of town for a training seminar were broken in Weiser. He had been suspended last week after new information was provided to the city about the incident, and the charges were to be aired in a hearing on March 17. That is the sum total of what has been released by the city. Unfortunately, it's not enough. The city considers the matter closed with Leija's resignation. That would be acceptable under some cir- cumstances, as there is certainly merit in trying -to avoid putting Leija through further personal anguish by spelling out all the details of the incident. But by the time Leija resigned, city officials had com- pleted their investigation, had drafted findings upon which to justify a disciplinary hearing, and had put Leija on suspension pending the hearing. Many facts of the case were established and would have been released had Leija not cut short the process through his resignation. Withholding information on the pending charges will only fuel the vicious rumors that cannot be avoided in small towns. Laying out the truth as it is known by the city would cut through the suspicions and save him the ordeal of being accused of actions more serious than the facts support. Beyond that argument, the taxpayers of the city deserve full reporting on any unusual event concerning one of their tax -paid employees, whether they be police officers, public works employees or secretaries. Releasing as much information as possible is the best tactic to use whenever a sensitive situation hovers over a public agency. In this case, not enough information has been given out, and the city's credibility will suffer because of it. Tom Grote txf n The Star-News 3/26/86 Officers, gets probation BY TOM GROTE The Star -News Idaho State Police Cpl. Keith Johnson on Tuesday was fined $200, put on probation for two years and ordered to pay restitu- tion for his shooting of a 15 -year- old youth near New Meadows last December. Johnson was sentenced by Adams County Magistrate Robert W. Whiteman in a Coun- cil courtroom following Johnson's guilty,plea last week to one count of unnecessary assault by a police officer. Whiteman granted Johnson ,a withheld judgment on the charge, which means that the conviction will be erased from Johnson's record if he does not violate the terms of his probation. The misdemeanor charge could have brought a sentence of up to a year in the county jail or a $5,000 fine. Johnson was ordered to pay the medical bills of Jeffrey Jolliff of Boise, whom Johnson wound- ed in the leg with a shotgun blast in the early- morning hours of Dec. 4, 1985. Jolliff was a passenger in a car that tried to run a police roadblock setup by Johnson and another officer on U.S. 95 two ,.'miles north of New Meadows. Johnson set up the roadblock when he received a report that the occupants of the, car had stolen ,VsolinCfrom a service station in Grangeville. "The car crashed, Jolliff emerg- ed from the car unarmed and was wounded by Johnson, in- vestigators said. The amount of the medical bills was not known, Magistrate's Court Clerk Marlena Stovner said. Stovner said that Deputy Idaho Attorney General Marc Haws asked Whiteman on Tuesday to give Johnson some' jail time, but not the maximum one year in jail as provided by law. Whiteman denied that request. The charge against Johnson was filed on Feb. 18 by the Idaho Attorney General's Office following an investigation into the incident. Johnson, a 24 -year veteran of the ISP, had been the resident ISP officer in New Meadows for 11 years before the shooting. He was placed on. paid leave follow- ing the incident and later was suspended for 28 days without pay. Johnson has been transferred to Boise, where he is now work- ing as a patrol officer. Johnson will be conducting normal patrols in the Boise area, but will be in closer contact with supervisors during his assignemnt, ISP officials said. The driver of the car, Robert Kiser of Clarkston, Wash., was arrested and charged with grand theft, a felony, after it was learn- ed the car had been stolen. Kiser had been: -scheduled to stand trial in ,Council on April 3 on the charge. But Stovner said that Kiser was being h id`: in Clearwater County f6r• „ violation and may not btr the theft charge. The Star-News 4/2/86 McCall reviews police goals, finances of goals for Department r the McCall ty night, but council short of of a sixth ,, the firing the the police cCall City ea as coun- called for a state and ! nforcement kys of.trim- 's police was set xry Craig e in image partment f a less r officers. softer im- others in were Lyon, department could curtail its pre- sent enforcement level of Mc- Calls' animal control laws while the need for the additional officer is studied. City Administrator Bud Schmidt objected to the pro- posal, saying that dog problems do not go away. "There is no issue in a council that will raise a larger crowd than the dog pro- blem," he said. Lyon emphasized that his pro- blem was not excessive workload, but rather a problem with coverage of four shifts 24 hours per day with the current five -man force. He said officer benefits, in- cluding vacation, sick time, holi- day compensatory time at time - and -a -half, and training time would account for an estimated 2,508 of the 12,480 man -hours potentially available during the year from a six -man force. Those deductions leave 9,972 man -hours actually available to cover shifts with a six -man force. He said 9,152 hours would be needed to maintain the current level of 24 -hour coverage with four officers working five days a week and three officers on shift the other two days each week. Lyon said he would need the council's authorization to pay overtime, or use reserve policemen, to continue the same coverage with a five -man force. "The bottom line is 777yto fund enough service at a Cliff Lee, reduced cost." — McCall City Council who told the council he would ac- cept whatever guidance they of- fered on matters of the depart- ment's visibility. The public image of the depart- ment was mentioned several times during the night's review. "Tell us what you don't want and we'll come back to you with a style show," Schmidt said. No decisions were made during Monday night's work session. Schmidt asked that the council try to settle policy changes later this month. Schmidt noted that policy deci- sions on the McCall Fire Depart- ment and McCall Golf Course also needed to be made. The economics of police pro- tection was at the forefront of the discussion Monday night. The council did not comment on an independent review of the police department submitted by Shirley A. Potter of McCall or on written testimony from F.D. "Del" Catlin of McCall. Afterwards, Lee said ideas "It comes Gown to one point, the 24 -hour obligation," Lyon said. "You folks have got to decide on this. I will do whatever you prescribe." Craig said he believed the city needed 24 -hour protection for its businesses and residents. "It appears to me we are pro- viding a police department for other citizens are paying for it," Lee said. Lee asked if it would be possi- ble to contract with the sheriff's department to cover the two shifts per week that Lyon said are the major stumbling blocks with a five -man force. Schmidt said he thought con- tract service with Valley County or Idaho State Police would be a good idea. Nightly patroling of businesses and residential neighborhoods was an item of discussion from both Lee and council member Gary Van Komen. Lyon's plan calls for officers to patrol the central business district at least three times per shift and drive down residential streets at least one time per shift. "I have a serious problem with patrol cars driving down a street once per shift," Lee said, doubt- ing whether an adequate deter- rent was provided. contained in both reviews are be- ing taken into account by the council, but he said he was more interested in improving the department than reviewing old problems. "My objective is to try and find a way to reduce this budget," Lee told the council members. "The bottom line is to try to fund enough service at a reduced cost." Lee complimented Lyon on his presentation of goals and objec- tives for managing his depart- ment, but said he took issue with Lyon's assessment of needs for traffic control, animal control, investigation and security patrols. Lyon said a study within his department showed about 18 per- cent of police time is spent on animal control. Investigations take up the next largest block of police time, at 16 " A deterrent is a hard thing to measure," Lyon said. Van Komen said his experience on a recent citizens crime watch showed that patrolmen were predicatable in their patrol rounds. Another aspect of police pro- tection brought out by council member Marion Johnson was on how police check bars each night. Lyon said the practice was valuable to both the city and bar owners. "It sets the mood that's in the bar," he said. "We try to visit when we're in the bar. It helps our public relations. They've been hurt by our (drunken driv- ing) enforcement." Schmidt gave several sugges- tions for helping reduce budget costs in the police department. They included elimination of percent, with property crime prevention rated at 14 percent and traffic enforcement adding nine percent to the workload. Lee asked Lyon what percent of the traffic enforcement workload is carried out on Idaho 55, where overlaps may occur with other police agencies that could possibly take on more work. Lyon said that about 40 per- cent of the time was spent on Idaho 55 with radar and deterrent traffic enforcement. Lee also questioned the time spent on dog control that he said cost $25,000 to $30,000 per year to impound 120 dogs during the past year, or about $208 per dog. Lyon's report shows the department puts to sleep an average'. of 150 dogs each year, returns 105 dogs to their owners, and issues 35 citations to owners and : handles 15 complaints of vicivlila'or noisy dogs. "I Ye a strong feeling our dog, P blem is not a dog pro - blemi `. ut a people problem," Lair, ' ested that the police free service to unlock cars, charg- ing for fingerprinting and crowd control during the McCall Winter Carnival, and eliminating public education activities in schools and clubs that Lyon says takes over 500 man -hours per year. A goal stressed by Lyon of get- ting the department's record system on the city computer would not work unless the city purchases an additional com- puter terminal, Schmidt said. The Star-News 4/9/86 Woman miffed that police report ignored BY RANDALL BROOKS The Star -News A McCall woman said s disappointed in the McCall Council for its lack of discu . of her analysis of the recent formance of the McCall P Department. The report of Shirley A. P of McCall is nine pages Ion€ includes a summary of 16 pings from articles publish( The Star -News between Jul; 1983 and July 3, 1985. The clipping represent a so ing of what Potter said substantial communication blems betwen citizens and city council regarding the pe mance of the police departn specifically Chief John Lyoi Potter said she had spent 100 hours independently re Ching and writing the re which was given to cc members just prior to the coun- cil's scheduled police departmen- tal review on March 31. Included in the report are Pot- ter's own conclusions drawn from the news clippings under headings of secrecy, training, communication and Chief Lyon. Issues included in the clippings concern personnel problems, im- proper handling of investiga- tions, officer resignations, com- munication problems, and an in- dependent review of the depart- ment withheld from the public by the city council. Potter said distribution of her material to council members did not occur until late in the day on March 29. "There's people who didn't have a chance to review it," she said. She acknowledged that some ideas contained in her report were also contained in material presented by City Administrator Bud Schmidt and Lyon at the council meeting last week. "They like some of my words because they used them," she said. She said she did not agree with an assessment by several council members that the review merely brought up old problems. "I feel if the problem has been going on since 1983, I don't think it's an old problem, it's a continual pro- blem," Potter said. "The only common denominator is John Lyon," she said. "The council can't seem to read the articles and see how they've been sandbagged." She said Lyon had continually dodged problems with his at- titude during prior reviews. "Everytime he's called on the carpet, he's all contrite, saying `You tell me what to do,' " she said. Potter said Monday that the major conclusions contained in her report include a concern that secrecy surrounding operation of the city's police department might continue. Previous reviews have been made, but the problem still exists, she said. She feels stricter guidance of the police department by the Mc- Call Council and city ad- ministrator is necessary. Potter said her review should be considered a refresher course on who, what, when, where and why there are recurring problems with McCall's police department. Included in her report is an edited, unsigned version of an in- dependent review of the depart - ment conducted in November of 1983 by R. W. Christensen. Pot- ter said the version is the closest the city hascome to full disclosure of the report. "The council and police are under public scrutiny, with reason, they are supposed to safeguard the public's interest," Potter said. "When these public bodies withhold or distort infor- mation to serve their own in- terests, it's time for a closer look. Deception leads to more decep- tion -- a vicious cycle that fuels itself." She also said limitations placed on public inquiry into incidents concerning the police department over the past three years has caus- ed "a small irritation to turn into a suppurating wound." "Communication, or lack of it, seems to be the main problem, no matter who speaks," Potter said in her conclusions. "The word is repeated in most articles deaing . with the police depart- ment ... has using the word become a way to minimize other problems ?" Potter said her review was not a personal attack on Lyon. "I do not know Chief Lyon, either publicly or privately," she` said "I bear him no animosity." But she said that her research showed an inconsistency in ac- tions concerning the police department in the past three years regarding Lyon's management of the department. Potter said she felt her material is useful to understanding and correcting problems with McCall's police force. "I think what they do in the future has got to be based on past performance," she said. " You. cannot disavow the past." Potter said she had no inten- tion of backing off of her interest in city council and its operation of the police department. "I have no intention of quit- ting," she said. "I didn't fire all of my bullets at once. I wanted to see how they'd read my material. What I want is a fair shake for the people of McCall." The Star-News 4/30/86 McCall cuts police force, limits dog patrols BY RANDALL BROOKS The Star -News McCall residents likely ,will begin noticing some changes in the way law enforcement is handled by the McCall Police Department as a result of changes voted Monday night by the Mc- Call City Council. The council unanimously adopted a list of goals for the department as reworked by coun- cil member Cliff Lee that alters police priorities in some instances and cuts the department from six to five full -time officers. Lee's proposal reorganized a list of goals and objectives sub- mitted by Police Chief John Lyon that were based upon his actual workload analysis of the past year. City Administrator Bud Schmidt said Tuesday that the major change would probably come in animal control. "The intent was to take it from lg percent of the department workload to something much less than that." he said. Lee called for the police department to identify nuisance dogs, but to refrain from daily patrols designed to pick up and impound stray dogs. He said that the department should respond only to emergency animal control calls in which some danger is pre- sent. Schmidt also said that the move to the permanent five -man department means the city would continue to designate Cpl. Ed Parker as the staff's full -time in- vestigator, but that the depart- ment would no longer maintain 24 -hour coverage in all instances. Details of the new police schedule, which would leave at least some shifts during the week manned only by an "on- call" of- ficer, were not released because of what Schmdit called the sen- sitivity of such scheduling. "We'll continue to have full protection during peak periods," Schmidt said. Lee's plan calls for a priority system for officers that responds to emergencies first. After that, police would res- pond to such calls as theft and ac- cident reports, and finally to in- cidental police duties such as crowd control, alcohol and traf- fic enforcement, and maintaining security in neighborhoods. Public relations activities would be the responsibility of Lyon. Lee said each shift officer should be given written direction by his superior on how to concen- trate his law enforcement ac- tivites. Those duties would vary from day to day to make patrols less predictable. Schmidt said it was important to note that the department would still continue to do police The Star-News 5/7/86 Police challenges haven't gone The departure of McCall Police Chief John Lyon cer- tainly is the end of an era, but it is not the end of the debate over law enforcement in McCall. Lyon leaves after a string of controversies that dogged him during his last few years, but it would be wrong to say he was being forced out. Through each uproar, the chief always seemed to emerge more secure with city of- ficials than before, as if he had a Teflon shield around him, to which none of the accusations seemed to stick. Lyon certainly was beset with his share of problems, including high turnover in the department, charges of mismanagement and an ill -fated point system that raised more ire than revenue. But most of the controversy was over the style and _personality of Lyon and not on police issues. Much of the criticism was cruel and undeserved and delivered by those with petty personal gripes. Those who believe Lyon's resignation will solve the problems with policing an emerging resort town need to think again. The new chief will be beset with the same questions that Lyon faced. How do you enforce the law when local interests don't want the tourists hassled? How do you answer locals who feel they are getting picked on when you are just trying to crack down on speeders and drunken drivers? How do you provide coverage and in- vestigate crimes when your budgets are squeezed tighter each year ? - Being a police chief in a small town is no fun anywhere. John Lyon thought he did the best job he .could, but his successor will quickly find out it's a dif- "ficult job regardless of your name. Tom Grote The Star-News 5/7/86 BY RANDALI, BROOKS The Star -News John Lyon ended a controver- sial career spanning 13 years as McCall's chief of police Friday when he told McCall Mayor Clyde Archer that he planned to resign to accept a job with the Ada County Sheriff's Office. Lyon said his resignation, ac- cepted Monday night by the Mc- Call City Council, would be ef- fective on Friday, and that he would be reporting to his new job in Boise Monday morning as a senior road deputy. Archer appointed Cpl. Ed Parker of the McCall Police Department as acting police chief for no more than 120 days while plans for finding a successor to Lyon are made by city council members. were ever leveled against him. and he left with the support of the council, Lyon said in the in- terview. "I'm leaving on my own terms," Lyon said. "I believe I have answered every challenge that's been made and came out with the support of the council in every instance." Lyon said he decided on the move to Boise after seeing an advertisement for the Ada Coun- ty deputy position about six weeks ago. "The election down there changed the situation," he said. "Six weeks ago was the first time I said, `I want that job.' " He said the career move back to Boise would allow him to con- "I'm leaving on my own terms. I'm not being forced out." — McCall Police Chief John Lyon. Council members voted to delay until Monday a move to upgrade reserve officer Dave Den Blyker to active duty to bolster the remaining four -man force of Parker, Steve Russell, Mike Tam - bini and Alex Claunts. "I'd like to see how a four - man force looks," council member Gary Van Komen said. In an interview on Saturday, Lyon, 42, said he had enjoyed his years in McCall and the challenge as McCall's chief of police. "I want to make it clear I'm tinue a life in police work that began with six years as an officer with the Boise Police Department before coming to McCall in Oc- tober 1973. "I originally came up here for six months and I've been here 13 years," Lyon said. "1 was born and raised in Boise. I'm excited because I'm going home." Lyon said he will be taking a cut in pay from his current salary of $26,004 per year, but feels he can move up quickly in the sheriff's department because of his background and expertise. The move to Boise also will allow his wife, Lynn, to pursue career opportunities not available in McCall in connection with her master's degree in guidance and counseling, Lyon said. "My wife and I are both ex- cited about the move," said Lyon, who added they plan to keep their home in the Rio Vista subdivision of McCall and retire here after he is eligible in nine years. "My 13 years to me was ab- solutely filled with accomplish- ment," Lyon said. "I feel I'm leaving with a large number of friends and supporters." Lyon began his McCall police career as a corporal in 1973 after leaving Boise because of a divorce. He advanced to sergeant shortly afterwards under former McCall Police Chief Jim Perkins. Just eight months later, leaving on my own terms," Lvon said. "I'm not being forced out." Several times within the past few years, Lyon has drawn criticism from some McCall residents and has been called before the McCall City Council for review of his management and law enforcement practices. Beginning the most recent in- stances of controversy in Lyon's career was a commissioned review by consultant Fred W. Christensen in August 1983 after grievances were filed by other Perkins was shot to death by Idaho State Police officers after he apparently went berserk and led officers on a bizarre shooting spree in McCall and a high speed chase on Idaho 55. Lyon said he was named chief two days later and has seen law enforcement continually improve from a tiny, part -time force with offices in the back of the former McCall schoolhouse, which was located where McCall Communi- ty Park now stands. He said highlights of his career included his work in securing the current city hall offices, efforts as a member of the Governor's Task Force on Law Enforcement, and as a past president of the Idaho Police Chiefs Association. He said he also valued his work with the McCall Rotary Club, where he was instrumental in a project to construct public restrooms at Rotary Park. Police officers and a group con- cerned about his political cam- paigning in behalf of McCall's 4 percent local- option tax on liquor and lodging. Following that was a review re- quested last June by a group pro- testing the resignation of Sgt. Larry Olson because of a point system started by Lyon to evaluate officers' performance. A recent evaluation of police department policies by the cur- rent city council at one time sug- gested turning McCall's law en- forcement over to the Valley County Sheriff's Department. The council eventually drop- ped that idea, but cut the present force from six to five officers and redirected many of Lyon's past policies. Each time, no specific charges The Star-News 5/15/86 McCall council begins search for new chief of police by RANDALL BROOKS Star-News -- Chief of Police for McCall, salary range $22,500 to the word that will soon rough various advertis- els in the Northwest in a rt by the McCall City find a suitable replace - former Chief John Lyon, a 13 -year veteran at the job, left the force on Thursday to work as a road deputy with the Ada County Sheriff's Office. The decision to advertise for a new police chief was just one of many decisions made concerning the McCall Police Department at a meeting of the McCall City Council Monday night. Council members also voted raise the staffing of the depart- ment back to five full -time of- ficers during what they feel could be a 90 to 120 -day search for a new police chief. That action came in a motion by council member Marion Johnson to approve the tem- porary hiring of police reserve Dave Den Bleyker for full -time duty at $4.82 per hour. Den Bleyker, 35, has lived in McCall for six years and has been an active member of the police reserves since August 1985. He has logged more than 1,500 hours of training time, Cpl. Ed Parker told the council. Parker was named as acting chief of police last week after the announcement by Lyon that he was leaving the force. On Monday, Parker delivered a letter to the council asking that his pay be raised in reflection of his new responsibilities as acting chief. Council member Cliff Lee told Parker to negotiate the matter with City Administrator Bud Schmidt and Mayor Clyde Ar- cher and then bring it back before the council. Raises for several other members of the city staff should also be reviewed at the same time, Lee said. tc A job description for the new police chief was drawn up by Schmidt and approved by the council with little discussion. The description requires a bachelor's degree in public administration or administration of justice, or an equivalent. It also asks for 10 years of supervisory experience in law en- forcement, with a mix of ex- perience in narcotics, records management, police training, traffic code enforcement and in- vestigative work. "McCall is a primary Idaho tourist community, and the suc- cessful candidate will be positive, energetic, and friendly, in keep- ing with the spirit of the com- munity," Schmidt's description said. Much of the remainder of the council's discussion centered around a recent council decision to cut back the time officers spend on dog problems from 18 percent to about two percent. At the request of the council for the past two weeks, only emergency or vicious dog com- plaints have been answered by of- ficers, and no dogs have been housed in the city's dog pound. The decision followed recent restructuring of goals and objec- tives for the city's policemen in an effort to help cut the police department budget. Council members found the city was spending over $30,000 per year on animal control. Bonnie Allen, owner of The Pancake House restaurant, warn- ed the council that McCall's dog problems were already beginning to return after two weeks of the new policy. Stray dogs had already chased customers near her business, Allen said. "We're going to see an influx of dogs this summer, she said. "I do remember the time when it was a problem, and I'd hate to see it go back to that." Johnson said city residents had voted on a leash law and that she thought it ought to be enforced. Lee told Allen that the city was not running away from the dog problem, but hoped to be able to solve it in ways other than having trained police officers taking care of animal control. "We're trying to shake down a little at a time, just to see where some savings can be made," Lee said. "Somebody has to deal with this and nobody has been dealing with this in the last two weeks," Allen said. "I don't want it ig- nored." Parker was told to develop a suitable animal control program. The Star-News 2/18/87 McCall officer resigns; cites low salary scale The McCall City Council has accepted the resignation of a Mc- Call police officer who said he was leaving the force for a job in Boise because of financial pro- blems. Officer Thomas Barkell, 39, asked in a letter to Police Chief Ed Parker that his resignation be effective on March 16. Barkell is a graduate of the Idaho Peace Officers Standards and Training Academy and a former Weiser city policeman with two years experience. He was hired by the council in Oc- tober at $14,400 per year, the cur - rent starting salary for policemen in McCall with certification credentials. 1�,X- hief Ed , Parker said arkell bu'nd he could not sup - jS kb s4 tnily on the take -home pav of around $10,000 per year. "Is this another indication of how inadequate our policy, perhaps our whole wage struc- ture, is ?" Mayor Clyde Archer asked the council on Thursday. Barkell is the fourth McCall policeman to resign in the past year. Also leaving the department were Cpl. Elias Leiia, Officers Steve Russell and Alex Claunts, and former chief John Lyon. All four took'jobs with other law en- forcement agencies in Idaho. While more than $12,000 was budgeted for raises for city employees this year, the city council has been reviewing employee classifications and has not acted upon a request by City Administrator. Bud Schmidt to grant wage increases to city employees. The Star-News 7/1/87 McCall offers officer higher pay ALICE KOSKELA The McCall City Council greed Thursday to again offer ity police Cpl. Michael Tambini promotion — this time with ore money and the promise of igher wages when he completes dditional training. The council voted unanimously offer Tambini a position as eutenant on the police force at a ay grade that is about $1,300 nigher than the $16,218 entry= evel salary for the job. Tambini vould be given another raise ifter he completes 80 hours of courses at the Idaho Peace Of- ficers Standards and Training [cademy in Boise. If he refuses the offer, McCall 'ity Administrator Bud Schmidt an look for someone else for the ieutenant's job. The council's action is its latest nempt to settle a grievance by Fambini that dates back to March 17. According to >chmidt, Tambini refused a pro - notion to lieutenant on that date recause of the pay offered for the ob. On the same day, he was >rdered to take the acting lieute- tant's position while Police Chief ?d Parker was out of town from vlarch 25 to April 8. Tambini's attorney, Robert Coontz of Boise, presented his :b'ent's case to the council last nonth, -arguing that the pay of 'ors officer high the ition was too low. Koontz more recently presented the city with,a $4,960 bill for Tambini's `overtime and attorney fees. No action has been taken on this bill. Schmidt last month had asked the council to promote Tambini to an intermediate pay grade for the lieutenant's position, but council member Gary Van Komen said . he felt Tambini should begin his job at "the bot- tom rung." "I think we should give him (Tambini) a step (pay increase) at the end of 80 hours of training and another step at the end of another 80," Van Komen said. "It gives him a carrot." According to a memorandum to the council written by Parker, Tambini needs 157 hburs of addi- tional training to earn a POST in- termediate certificate. Tambini can take 80 hours of that training by correspondence courses, Parker said. Schmidt said Tambini, former- ly a police officer and chief at Wendell, Idaho, before joining the McCall force in 1985, should get some compensation for his prior experience and his attitude towards his job. "He has been an eager learner and an enthusiastic and dedicated employee," Schmidt said. Council members decided to offer Tambini the lieutenant's job at pay grade 88 — $17,561 annually with an automatic hike to grade 93 — $18,458 an- nually — when he completes the 80 hours of training. After he earns his POST intermediate cer- tificate, he will be elegible for another raise. . In other action Thursday night: The council also agreed to switch long- distance phone com- panies, hoping to saNie about 25 percent on the city's phone bills. McCall now will be served by Northwest Telco, a subsidiary of the Morrison - Knudsen Corp. in Boise, for, its Tong- distance telephone calls. According , to a letter to Schmidt from Phylis K. King, district sales manager for Telco, McCall could have saved about $341 between January and April on its phone bills if the city had been served by Telco. The council agreed to switch from Contel to Telco for long distance service, and to review the new service after year to see if it is saving money for the city. • The council also heard a first reading on a city ordinance to make one -way streets of Lakeshore, Hemlock, Fir, Spruce and Mill Alley. The plan would take traffic north on Lakeshore, east on Hemlock, Fir and Spruce and south on Mill Alley. er pa3 The plan was proposed to de, with boat marina traffic prc blems on those streets. • McCall also receive authorization from the Idah, Department of Lands to install 1 additional boat moorages o Payette Lake. The moorages wi, be available -through a lottery with a drawing of application for permits to be held July 8. Moorage permits will cos $150. Interested persons may ap ply for permits until 4 p.m. Jul; 8, when the drawing will begin. The additional moorage will bi available until Oct. 15 but may b( extended if McCall officials re quest an extension. The tem porary moorage spaces will bE located south of the Sport! Marina to the city's Lake Streei water station. The moorages were proposec by Schmidt at the council's June 17 meeting. He said low water conditions at Boise area reser- voirs have created a demand for additional moorages on Payette Lake. • The council also approved a proposal by McCall Design and Planning for improvements in the city's waterfront park develop- ment. The proposal includes a $100 charge for creation of a cleanup schedule, $1,500 for a topographic site plan and $1,75( for a schematic design for part. improvements. The Star-News 7/1/87 McCall beefs up security to avoid rowdy Fourth Parker said officers faced a special crowd control problem in McCall last year because a large group of young people showed up for an outdoor rock concert south of McCall that was cancell- ed by rain. "It was a surprise to law en- forcement that we had such an in- flux of young adults," Parker iald. "After the rock concert was rained out they came into town Rnd took out their frustrations." He said a lot of young people became unruly, "engaging in drinking and physical alterca- tions." A large group of people crowded into the Brass Lamp piz- za parlor and took over the business, shooting off fireworks inside and forcing police to shut the Brass Lamp down. Parker doesn't want to see a repeat of those performances during this year's Fourth. He said that the entire city force of four men, plus five reserve officers, will be aided by seven Idaho State Police officers and nine Valley County Sheriff's deputies during the holiday weekend. Officers will make routine business checks at Cafes and bars during the holiday "as a preventive measure," Parker said. Parker said he hopes to also have the help of two members of the Idaho Department of Law Enforcement's Alcoholic Beverage Control Unit. The Mc- Call Fire Department staff will help Control the use of illegal fireworks. . Parker said a new city fireworks ordinance allows Mc- Call Fire Chief Dale Points and his staff to enforce fireworks laws. This should help stop the sale, possession and use of dangerous fireworks, he said. Last year, bottle rockets were 'a Particularly bad problem, with some people shooting the fireworks at each other through gipes`. "to. gain more accuracy," e said. An- Ontario, Ore, man suffered serious, inury and the loss of an eye aftef• Mg struck by a bottle downtown McCall, d° the fact that no on to planned for thk ea, r may ease crowd .CiaPfie control pro• blame solike to see more suns ` ng this Fourth, V, to ° have good want everybody The Star-News 7/8/87 McCall officials fear violence will repeat 1Y ALICE KOSKELA 'he Star -News A year ago, Fourth of July iolence in McCall was blamed �n a rained -out rock concert outh of town. But last weekend's celebration, narred by a bar shooting and nob rule in downtown, has city officials worried about future ourths. "We thought that last year, the ,roblem was the rock concert, ut apparently it was so much an they decided to come back nd take over the town," City ►dministrator Bud Schmidt said. "I'm real concerned that we light be starting to develop a -adition." McCall Police Chief Ed Parker greed. "This Fourth of July was ,orse than the last one, and one f my greatest fears is that next ear there'll be even more pro - lems," Parker said. "McCall may get the reputa- on, instead of being a place to D and have a nice time, people ,ill say, `let's go to McCall to ot,' " he said. Parker; seasoned by police ex- erience in southern- California, nows what it's like to keep order ► rowdy tourist towns. "This is just a repeat perfor- iance of what I've seen in 'alifornia," he said. "Once a )wn has been designated as a )arty town,' it keeps that reputa- on ... until strict law enforce - ent and numbers of law en- rcement officers present scourage the partv =goers from articipating in illegal and violent ts.'0 Although there were about 40 iformed officers in McCall last "People acted like `I have a right to be here; to get drunk and tear up your tr,,; 4 a towft wee A d, including seven sheriff's deputies from Idaho County called in on Saturday, they simply weren't enough to control the crowd. A random shooting that wounded a Nampa woman Fri- day night in The Foresters Club only seemed to excite the crowd in the bar and on the street, Parker said. On Saturday, about 2,000 young people clogged Lake Street, hurling bottles and fireworks at police, and it was all officers could do to contain them. Police arrested 28 people and issued more than 50 citations for open beverage containers and il- legal fireworks. Parker said the thing that bothered him the most was the general attitude of the crowd, its disregard for the safety of others and hostility toward law enforcement officers. Schmidt, who spent both Fri- day and Saturday evenings downtown with McCall police, said he was amazed by the crowd's belligerent behavior. "People acted like 'I have a right to be here, to get drunk and tear up your town,' " he said. "The sense of personal respon- sibility, they seemed to fibt 4vg§ real frightening." Both Schitiidt and Park& said — Bud Schmidt McCall officials need to respond to this apparent trend. "There are some public policy issues buried in these events," Schmidt said. "The city council needs to get a sense from_ the community of whether this kind of thing is okay, whether we want it." He said the council might pro- pose "alternative activities" for Fourth, of July visitors that could deter violence, "but if (McCall) people do want it, and they're willing to endure this, then we should just stay out of the way." Parker said that more uniform- ed law enforcement is the only way he knows to prevent another celebration like this year's Fourth. He estimated he would need twice as many officers — abou 80 police to do the job. "I would try to recruit officer from other departments to assis us," he said. "The greate presence of uniformed officer; may discourage illega activities." Parker said that he was prow of the restraint shown by officer during this year's Fourth, an( pointed out that the situatiot could have been much worse i. police had-responded differently to the hostile crowd. "I consider Saturday a winning night because there were no ma. jor incidents — we didn't have tc use force," he said. "There were certain people in the crowd whose whole design was to taunt the police and try to get the officer, to overreact, and we just wouldn't do that." Schmidt said bringing in more police next year "doesn't make for a very friendly environment," but agreed that it may be the only answer. "I don't want to have the Na. tional Guard up here, but we may just have to do that to stop it," he said. The Star-News July 29, 1987 Parker wants 80 officers for July 4 Downtown McCall has been the scene of violence the last two years. In the Independence Day weekend just past, a woman was shot in the leg in a random shooting and crowds of young people clogged downtown, hurl- ing bottles, firecrackers and in- sults at police and firefighters. Officers made 28 arrests and issued 50 citations for open beer and liquor containers as well as fireworks violations. At one point, Parker ordered firefighters to direct their hoses at the crowd to disperse it. Parker said that 30 officers from various departments were on hand on Friday night of the holiday weekend, and that number increased to 40 officers on Saturdav nittht. But he said he would prefer 80 officers in the future to ensure police could handle any disorder- ly crowds. The additional officers also would allow more patrols throughout the day and earlier arrests of those who instigate violence, he said. Other recommendations by Parker included prohibiting fireworks of all xypes in McCall during the holiday, floodlighting the downtown area, and using video cameras to record the crowd. Use of cameras has been found to be effective elsewhere in break- ing up crowds because trouble- makers know their movements are being recorded, he said. Also, plainclothes officers could infiltrate the crowd and identify ringleaders before any trouble starts. "We need to make an impact on these people that we're serious," he said. At the start of the meeting, Parker showed a videotape of a riot that happened last Labor Day in Huntington Beach, Calif., during a surfing contest. The tape showed rioters vandalizing buildings, overturning police cars and setting them on fire. "We need to make an impact on these people that we're serious." Parker then showed a video given to McCall Police by a citizen who taped part of the crowd in McCall on Saturday night of the most recent holiday. The McCall video 'showed youths clustered in groups along Second Street, and obscene chants directed at police could be heard in the background. "We had a potential close to Huntington Beach," McCall Fire Chief Dale Points said. He noted that several trash dumpsters downtown were full of flam- mable materials. "If they would have started those on fire, we would have been in deep trouble," he said. McCall City Administrator Bud Schmidt said he surveyed several cities that have had similar problems to see how they control crowds. Most of those cities found that having more police officers on hand was the most effective method, Schmidt said. "No one has found anything to deal with it that is nonviolent," he said. Several members of the au- dience praised the officers for their restraint during the last holi- day, and urged that more officers be called up next year. W -F. VanCleave, a retired police officer who lives near Mc- Call, suggested signing mutual - aid pacts with other police departments. Under such pacts, other departments would im- mediately send officers in an emergency. Eleanor Colombani of McCall suggested that the word be put out before next year that mob rule in McCall will not be tolerated. Marc fa Nelson of McCall said advertisements should be placed in newspapers around the state, especially on college campuses, to — Chief Ed Parker inform those coming to McCall of the city's attitude. Valley County Commissioner Adolf Heinrich said that marshal law should be declared if necessary and the National Guard be called. "If we use a little bit of force, we're in trouble," Heinrich said. "Go to the extreme and modify that. to fit our needs." Other suggestions included a search of cars entering town for illegal alcohol or fireworks, and an automatic minimum fine for anyone cited during the weekend. But City Attorney Bob Remaklus said that the searches likely would be illegal, and that only judges can set fines. Audience members also sug- gested more funds be allocated to buy or rent riot gear to protect police officers as well as firefighters who were assaulted this year. Council members pledged to do what they could to ensure a quiet holiday next year. "We have to take a firm stand, a tough stand," council member Richard Moltke said. "If it takes more money, you bet." Council member Bob McCarty said that he agreed with a show of force, but he also urged more family activities be staged during the July 4 holiday. VanCleave also suggested hir- ing off -duty officers from other cities for the holiday. The cost would be high, perhaps $5,000, "but that's half the cost of a police car if it is destroyed," he said. VanCleave said a good tactic is to arrest. the few people in a crowd who urge others toward violence. "Good kids can turn to animals, and the only way to take care of it is to cut the head off the animal," he said. The Star-News 9/30/87 PAGE A --6- -THE STAR- NEWS-- WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 30 The two newest officers hired by the McCall Police Department 4nng with them a wealth of lents that already have proved useful in their jobs. $` Patrolmen Glenn "Kit" itselman and Dean Muchow were both hired by the city in 'f, August. It is the first full -time_ ,:position as police officers for -both men. Kitselman, 31, is a native of Reno, Nev., who was raised in .Aouthern California. He has call - *d Idaho home for 16 years, with 'an eight -year break to serve in the U.S. Navy. In the Navy, he was a diver ,who specialized in explosive ord- iance disposal. He worked fre- !*quently with local authorities, the U.S. Secret Service and the FBI, and has been an instructor in ex- plosives: disposal. Kitselman's skills came in han- 1y on Sept. 16, when a bomb - threat was telephoned into the Sprouse Reitz store in McCall. ie used his knowledge to direct earch efforts, which found no ,;)omb. Before coming to McCall, he vas a psychiatric technician at in- fermountain Hospital in Boise. He holds a commercial aircraft pilot's license and flew scenic air Whittier C 1'f .tours in the Sawtooth Mountains. mom. T- Becoming a police officer was a job "I've always wanted to ,AO," Kitselman said. "I've "°wanted to serve the community and use my leadership ability." G. His hobbies include hunting, `Fishing, skiing, snowmobiling and scuba diving. He and his wife, Deborah, have a son, Khris- tian, 5. Muchow, 35, was raised in a} ; =r 2987 A A%. from Cal Poly in 1974 8raduated He lived in Gooding for 12 Years before coming to McCall, and worked as a firefighter, a commercial artist, a member of the county search and rescue team and as a part -time police of- ficer in Gooding. Muchow was hired over the Fourth of July weekend in Mc- Call to back up local officers dur- ing that holiday's -ash of violence, and was hired full -time the next month. Muchow speaks Spanish and knows sign language, and he is an instructor in the kenpo style of karate. He said the job with McCall Police gives him a chance to use his talents in changing situations. "Every day, you run into new things," he said. "Working with people is a pleasure; you get to help more than von hurt." The Star-News 12/2/87 McCall OKs police car The McCall City Council last week approved buying a surplus Idaho State Police patrol car to re- place one of the city's worn-out police cars. The council voted to spend $3,000 to buy a surplus ISP patrol car, McCall City Administrator Bud Schmidt said. The funds were bud- geted to either buy a surplus car or to be used as a down payment on a new car. In a memo to Schmidt, McCall Police Chief Ed Parker said that the surplus ISP car would replace one of five cars now used by the police department. The city car has been driven more than 93,000 miles and needs a major overhaul if it is to continue operation, Parker said. Most cities retire their police cars when they have been driven 70,000 miles, Parker said. The surplus ISP cars have been driven between 50,000 and 70,000 miles, Schmidt said. Although McCall officers have an excellent driving record, Parker said that police officers are more likely to have auto accidents than the general public because of the need to respond quickly to calls and because officers are more likely to be driving in poor weather. The Star-News 6/15/88 Officers pass Two McCall police officers have graduated from the Peace Officers Slandards and Training Academy in $oise. Patrolmen Dean Muchow and Glen Kitselman both completed training at the academy, which consists of six weeks of training conducted six days a week. Areas of instruction include physical fitness, investigation techniques, the law, firearms and public relations. Kitselman, who graduated in April, ranked first in his class of 30 officers. He received a sharp- shooter's award for his shooting ability and was at the top of his academy class for physical ability. He joined the McCall force last August. Previously, he worked in the U.S. Navy as a bomb- disposal specialist. Muchow ranked fourth overall in a class of 32 officers, received a sharpshooter's badge, ranked "excellent" in physical fitness, and became a specialist in breath - testing equipment to test suspected drunken drivers. Muchow joined the McCall force in July 1987. Both patrolmen received a pro- motion and pay increase following their graduatiop from the academy. The Star-News 12/28/88 citations quell trouble during July 4 Weekend McCall residents held their breath during the long Independence Day - weekend of 1988, hoping against a repeat of mob violence of past years. As the holiday ended, calm had prevailed, but not without a considerable effort by police. McCall officials, led by Police Chief Ed Parker, were determined to do all they could to avoid a scene that occurred during the July 4 ? celebration in 1987. In that ugly weekend, a woman was wounded in a random shooting and mobs controlled the downtown, ,pelting police and firemen with rocks, bottles and abuse. �Youths from around Idaho make "arinnal tri' ;to'McCall each In- fdependence 1)ay to designate the °towri their party headquarters. 1ly the revelry has come off ut utctden4 "t unruly youths tecome more of a threat to in recent years;: Downtown lighting and video cameras were among the tactics considered by police to head off an- other round of trouble in 1988. But two thrusts provided the ultimate success in quelling violence a large police presence and a crack- down on liquor. Toward the first goal, more than 40 police officers, most from out- side the area, were brought in. The officers were divided into teams of six with the assignment to intimi- date and -disperse any bands of youths who might be thinking of raising a ruckus. Anyone who resisted the officers' suggestions were subject to imme- diate arrest. A total of 36 people were arrested over the four -day weekend and charged with a variety of offens es, A temporary jail was set up at the McCall- Donnelly school bus barns to house offenders and allow officers to quickly get back on the streets. Otherwise, those arrested would have to be taken to Valley County Jail in Cascade. A flurry of citations issued by officers completed the job of peace- keeping. More than 175 citations were issued over the weekend, the majority of those were for carrying open containers of beer or other alcohol on the streets. Most of the arrests also were for open - container 'violations, and Parker and others said that remov- ing liquor from the streets was the main reason quiet was maintained. Officers were exhausted and the courts were jammed following the weekend, but the effort was pro- nounced a success. Parker's most fond hope is that the handling of the 1988 Independence Day weekend wtll-send a message to youths, that time in McCall is best kept at home and not on the streets. k � July.4 weekend The Star-News 2/22/89 Pat Paterson becomes McCall's newest officer Pat Patterson has joined the McCall Police Department as its newest officer, but Patterson is by no means new to law enforcement. Patterson, 49, was hired to the five- member police force follow- ing the resignation of Detective Dave DenBleyker, who has joined the Valley County Sheriff's Office. Patterson worked for 17 years as a patrolman with the California Highway Patrol. He moved to Mc- Call three years ago, and spent the past 1 -1/2 years as grocery manager for Shaver's supermarket in Mc- Call. Before joining the force, Patter- son worked as a reserve officer with McCall police, assisting with such events as last year's Independence Day crowd control. He holds an associate degree in criminal justice from Fairfield Community College in California and holds a bachelor's degree in public service from the University of San Francisco. Patterson also holds an ad- vanced certificate from the Califor- nia state police academy. He lives in McCall with his daughter, Christy, 17. Patterson said he has had a de- sire to return to law enforcement, and he looked forward to the unique challenges that working in McCall Pat Patterson offers. For example, his assignment to the city's snowmobile patrol is un- like any duty he faced while working the freeways in northern California. Patterson said he has a special interest in narcotics investigations. "We're delighted to have him on the force," McCall Police Chief Ed Parker said. Other officers on the force with Patterson are Lt. Mike Tambini and patrolmen Glenn Kitselman and Dean Muchow. The Star-News 3/15/89 McCall officer ousted for lies on drug abuse BY TOM GROTE The Star -News A McCall police officer was or- dered to turn in his resignation on Thursday after it was found out he lied about the extent of his previous use of illegal drugs when he applied for the force. Officer Glenn Kitselman, 33, who has been with the force since August 1987, was forced to "resign after being confronted with the charges by McCall Police Chief Ed Parker and McCall City Adminis- trator Bud Schmidt. When he applied for the job as police officer, Kitselman told an interviewer that he had previously used only marijuana, but that he had not smoked the drug since he was 20 years old, Schmidt said. However, that statement was found to be false following infor- mation received by the city from the Ada County Sheriffs Office, where Kitselman recently applied for a job, Schmidt said. In an interview for the Ada County job, he also was asked about his prior drug use. This time he admitted to using illegal drugs for a longer period of time and more recently to his employment in Mc- Call, Schmidt said. Kitselman admitted to Ada County interviewers to using mari- juana up to May 1987, just three months before being hired on at the McCall force. He also said he had used cocaine, with the last use be- ing five years before he was hired. Kitselman also said he had used hallucinogenic drugs, but not since he was in hixh school. The Ada County sheriffs office notified the state police academy of The Star-News 6/28/89 Police see quiet 4th BY TOM GROTE The word is out that rowdyism will not be tolerated in McCall, and that means the upcoming Indepen- dence Day weekend should be calm, McCall Police Chief Ed Parker said Monday. Parker said he still plans to call in extra police officers, and strict enforcement of alcohol laws will still be the rule. But he believes there is less chance for trouble among the hordes of youths who traditionally frequent downtown McCall during the holiday weekend. "I'm not anticipating the mass counts (of arrests and citations) that we had last year," he said. "They have a new respect for law and order in this city." Last year, 40 officers were amassed by Parker to patrol the city, particularly in the downtown area, in an attempt to head off mob violence that marred the 1987 holi- day. In 1988, six-man teams of offi- cers patrolled the streets on foot under orders to break up all gather ing of youths before the small gangs could turn into mobs. Officers suffered writers' cramp as they wrote out scores of citations for a variety of offenses, with par -' ticular attention paid to the city's ban on open containers of alcohol in public. When it was over, a total of 36 arrests were made and 178 citations were written by city officers alone. More than 100 of those citations and 25 of those arrests were on al- cohol- related offenses. Parkers credits last year's crack- 4th "They have a new respect for law and' order in this city." Ed Parker down with preventing any serle trouble in the city, and he that effort will be a deterrenttrouble- make rs coming to town weekend. Not leaving anything to chahowever, Parker once again have his entire force of five time officers and five reserve cers on duty for the weekendhas again asked for help from pdepartments in Weiser and Emwhere McCall officers have trav to patrol the Oldtime Fiddlers Fes - `, tival and the Cherry Festival. Officers from the Idaho State Police and the Valley County Sher- iffs Department will round out the law enforcement line -up. In addition, McCall firefighters will be on call in case they are needed for crowd control, and -riot gear will be close at hand if circumstances warrant, he said. M "We're prepared for any emer- gency, ,but we would hope that there will be more of a family crowd," Parker said. Heavy enforcement of laws against open containers as well as illegal fireworks will again be the marching orders for the officers, he said. Two significant changes from last year's patrol plan will be the reduction of patrol teams from six officers to two, and the elimination of the temporary jail that was set up last year at the bus garages of the McCall- Donnelly School Dis- trict. The sheriffs office has agreed to shuttle prisoners to the Valley County Jail in Cascade to allow officers to get back on the streets quickly after making an arrest, Parker said. The Star-News 8/16/89 McCall police warn about cat burglar McCall police have ssued an alert to area residents about a bur- glar that has broken into four Mc- Call homes since June. The burglar has been operating mostly on weekends and enters homes in the evetljng, usually when they are occupied, by remov- ing a screen window, Police Chief Ed Parker said. Parks asked residents to note any suspicious behavior in their neigh- borhoods, including strange cars or people sitting in cars for a long time. License plates of those cars should be noted and reported to po- lice. Residents also should pay atten- tion to barking dogs, whether it is their own dog or a dog belonging to a neighbor, and residents should keep their homes and cars locked, Parker said. Police are investigating the bur- glaries, but have made no arrests. The burglaries linked to the same suspect include: • June 20, 204 Stibnite: Deloris Caruso report the theft of a purse, set of keys and $50 cash. She was awakened by dogs barking. • July 14, 103 Idaho Street: Joan Lee reported the theft of skis valued at $600. Storm window was re- moved. • July 23, 330 Forest St.: Bob Silverman, visiting from Califor- nia, reported the theft of a tan suit- case, a black purse, a black shoulder purse, a red suitcase, $600 in cash and personal belongings. Entry through an open bedroom window. • Aug. 5, 808 Evergreen: Larry and Julie Craig report a purse and $150 in cash missing. Purse was found later on golf course. Entry through kitchen window. Anyone with information on the burglaries should call the McCall Police Department at 634 -7144. The Star-News 12/7/89 Police arrest pickup thief A Boise youth was arrested in McCall on Tuesday and charged with the theft of a car in Boise. The youth was arrested at the Maverik Country Store Tuesday morning after the clerk notified po- lice the youth was unable to pay for purchase of $29.69 of gasoline. After further investigation, it was found that the 1977 pickup, belonging to Scott Frisbie of Boise, had been stolen on Monday in Boise. The youth, whose name was not released because of his age, was charged with grand theft - auto, a felony. He also was charged with a misdemeanor for carrying a con- cealed weapon, which officers said was a dagger found on his person. Officers also found a 30 -30 Winchester rifle in the pickup that was believed to have been stolen. The investigation was conducted by McCall officers Clay Bright and Dean Muchow. The Star-News 12/28/89 Drug-round-up McCall Police Officer Clay Bright inspects some of ment capped a cooperative investigation that began the the variety of drug paraphernalia that police officers previous spring. Eleven people were arrested the first recovered during a raid of several McCall residences day, and seven more were picked up within a month of on Jan. 4. The raid by about 20 officers from the the raid and charged with a variety of offenses, includ- valley County Sheriff's Office, the McCall Police De- ing possession with intent to deliver and delivery of a nartment and the Idaho Department of Law Enforce- controlled substance. The Star-News 5/7/90 McCall Police Dept salaries given Ed. Note: This is second in series of lax- supported agency salary and benefit schedules in Valley County. The Police Department of the City of McCall operates With an annual (current) bud- get of $28,330, with $20,790 earmarked for salaries. Three full-time police officers are em- ployed by the city, with the salary of the chief of police set at $7,590, and the two addition- al officers at $6,600 each. $800, is set aside for salaries of part - time additional help during the summer months. The department is allowed $300, per year toward replace- ment and repair of police uni- forms, and personel are allowed 10 cents per mile when it is necessary that they use private cars for police work. Guns and ammunition are furnished by the city, as are monthly rates for extension police phones to Officer's homes, required by the city. Full -time officers are included in the city's state re- tirement benefit and medical insurance programs, - The city requires that each officer be on active duty eight hours a day and 40 hours a week, with an additional re- quired standby time of four hours before or after each eig- ht -hour shift, for which no sal- ary is received. Paid vacation time is accumulated at the same rate as other city employ- ees, at the rate of one day per full month. City Council member Fran- cis Wallace is responsible for the police department. The Star-News 5/20/93 McCall police hires new patrol officer Bob Stowe has been hired as the newest member of the McCall Police Department. Stowe, 37, comes to the force with the rank of corporal and initially will work night patrols, McCall Police Chief Ed Parker said. Stowe replaced former officer Dean Muchow, who resigned to take a position with the Adams County Sheriff's Office. Stowe also will be used to inves- tigate reports of bad checks by mer- chants, Parker said. Investigation of those crimes has suffered from ne- glect due to an overall increase in crime this year, the chief said. Stowe was born in Springfield, Mo., and was raised in the southern California in Long Beach and Gar- den Grove. He is a second - generation officer, as his father retired as a lieutenant with the Long Beach Police Depart- ment. He graduated from Golden West College in Huntington Beach with a degree in administration of justice He worked four years as a cadet with the Huntington Beach Police Department before joining the Long Beach Police Department. He worked 15 years in Long Beach and attained the rank of sergeant, gaining experi- ence in investigating crimes of vice, robbery and burglary. Stowe and his wife, Marleen, a registered nurse, have three young children. He said they had previously Bob Stowe visited McCall to see friends, and that the area had been at the top of their list when it came time to relocate. "This is a beautiful area," he said. "The main thing I like is the quality of life for my children." Among Stowe's hobbies is steer wrestling, and he has taken part in rodeos sponsored by the National Police Rodeo Associa- tion. He also likes hunting and fishing, and baseball and softball. The Star-News 7/12/90 Accidents keep police jumping during holiday BY TOM GROTE The Star -News The highways and waterways and of the area were filled with people during the final days of the 10 -day Independence Day celebration, and several people were arrested or hurt in accidents, police reported. There was not the widespread number of arrests and citations that has marked previous years, but po- lice still had their hands full keeping up with the heavy traffic and nu- merous calls for assistance.. "All in all it was busier than last year," McCall Police Chief Ed Parker said. "It was congested, but we handled it." Parkers said 24 citations were is- sued during the 10 -day celebration, including 13 for underage consump- tion of alcohol, three for illegal fireworks and four for illegal open containers of alcohol. That is a reduction from last year, when a total of 73 citations were issued in McCall on various charges. In addition, Parker said nine people were arrested for drunken driving over the holiday period. The Valley County Sheriffs Of- fice responded to a slew of incidents as well, Sheriff Lewis Pratt said. The heavy holiday traffic worked to keep down the number of serious accidents, Pratt said. "It's usually packed up bumper -to- bumper, so they can't do a whole lot," Pratt said. The emergency room of McCall Memorial Hospital saw about 25 patients per day during the final days of the holiday celebration, nursing supervisor Marilyn Dawson said. "It was busy, but not crazy like last year, when we saw 60 people per day," Dawson said. Here is a listing of some of the in ylents that occurred in the several days between July 4 and last week- , end: A rider in the Thunder Moun- tain Days parade in Cascade on July 4 was injured when the horse he was riding spooked and threw him off. Dick Deitz, 53, of Cascade, was thrown from his horse near the end of the parade when the horse became crowded into other horses, Cascade Police Chief Al Records said. Deitz was treated at Valley County Hospital in Cascade and taken to St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise for evalua- tion, Records said. • Charles E. Ketchum, 43, of Lake Fork was in fair condition at St. Alphonsus on Wednesday after being injured in an accident on Sun- day on Abbott Road west of Idaho 55. Ketchum was a passenger in a car being driven by Warren Fogg, 44, of Lake Fork, Pratt said. Fogg. ap- parently lost control of the car on a corner while heading west and the car overturned. The car rolled down an embankment and came to rest on its passenger side. The Donnelly Fire Department had to work about 40 minutes to free Ketchum from the wreckage. He was taken by the Donnelly Ambu- lance Service to McCall Memorial Hospital, and transferred by Life Flight helicopter to St. Al's. Fogg was treated at McCall Memorial and released on Sunday. An investigation was continuing in The Star-News Photo by Tom Grote Cyclists 'cited' for helmets Andrew Killen of McCall watches McCall Police Sgt. Carla Donica write him a ticket, but the ticket is for a good deed, namely for Killen wearing his bicycle helmet. McCall officers will be writing similar "tick - ets" all this summer to youths seen wearing their bicycle helmets, which have been shown to prevent serious head injuries in case of an accident. During June, youths who receive the citations can take them to Shaver's supermarket, which will hold a drawing for a new bicycle on July 1. Shaver's Customer Service Manager Jay Shaver is seen at left. Sponsors are being sought to give away prizes for the "ticketed" youths during the rest of the sum- mer. To sponsor a prize, call the McCall Police Department at 634- 7144. The Star-News 9/30/93 McCall police adds Cline to patrol force Stan Cline will still be working the streets for the city of McCall, but he will be turning in his shovel for a badge. Cline, 34, is the newest member of the McCall Police Department. He replaces Lt. Pat Patterson, who left the department earlier this month to pursue other interests in his native state of Kentucky. Cline has lived in McCall since 1974 and graduated from McCall - Donnelly High School in 1977. He served eight years in the Navy and joined the McCall public works de- partment in 1986. Cline has been a volunteer re- serve police officer since February. He has two sons, ages five and seven. "I look forward to working with the community," he said. "I look forward to something new and ex- citing every day." Cline will be working the day shift before heading to the state po- lice academy in Boise in November. Following Patterson's departure, Cpl. Bob Stowe was promoted to sergeant and has assumed the duties of patrol commander, said Chief Ed Parker, who also will assume more administrative duties. Stan Cline Other officers on the force are Sgt. Casey Chuba, who works on narcotics cases; Sgt. Carla Donica, who handles investigations; Patrol Officers Howard Hill, Mike Allen and Cline; and Ordinance Control Officer Ken Francis. The Star-News 3/17/94 McCall officer quits; new officer hired BY TOM GROTE The Star -News The McCall Police Department has hired a new officer following the resignation last week of Sgt. Bob Stowe. Stowe, who had been with the department just under a year, sub- mitted his resignation effective March 8 to Chief Ed Parker. "Although my family and I love the area, I have found that we are not able to afford the cost of living on our salaries," Stowe's letter of resignation said. "We are unable to qualify to buy a home in the McCall area and there- fore I must seek employment in an area with a lower cost of living," the letter said. Parker last week hired Jim Kangas to fill the vacancy in the eight- member police department. Kangas, 46, has worked the past two years as a volunteer reserve officer with McCall police. For the past 1 -1/2 years, Kangas has served as reserve sergeant with supervisory authority over the five - member reserve force. Kangas, who was raised in Don- nelly, received his first law enforce- ment training from the U.S. Army following two tours of duty in Viet- nam as an Army Airborne Ranger. He worked for about a year with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office and worked for McCall Po- lice as a reserve for a year in the early 1970s. Kangas has been assigned to the day shift for the time being, and he will attend the state police academy in the fall to attain his certification. His wife, Jan, operates Clark Jim Kangas New McCall police officer Property Rentals, and he will con- tinue to assist her with maintenance of rental units when not on duty. Kangas said he likes police work because it gives him a chance to deal with the public and to solve problems. "I like to be able to make a difference in our community life here," he said. Police cannot do their job with- out the cooperation of residents, Kangas said. Parents must watch their children for signs of unusual behavior, and citizens should report suspicious activity, he said. Parker has made other changes in the police force following Stowe's departure. Howard Hill has been promoted from patrolman to corpo- ral and Mike Allen has been pro- moted from corporal to sergeant in charge of patrol. Other officers on the force are Sgt. Carla Donica, who does inves- tigations; Sgt. Casey Chuba, who specializes in narcotics work; pa- trol officer Stan Cline; and ordi- nance- enforcement officer Ken Francis. The Star-News 7/7/94 Pedestrian patrol makes sure revelers behave BY ROGER PHILLIPS I The Star -News It's the evening of the Fourth of July in McCall. Crowds gather at Legacy Park as the dusk settles on Payette Lake. Families huddle to- gether on the grass, high school kids gather in loose bunches, locals and visitors stroll along the sidewalks and all walks of life seem to be repre- sented. At 9:12 p.m., Lt. Carla Donica of the McCall Police Department and reservist Regina Kayler prepare for the evening activities. It's the sixth year Donica has patrolled over the Fourth of July weekend in McCall. For Kayler, it's her first. "It's exciting, it's a new experi- ence," Kayler said. Donica expects traffic to be milder than usual this year since the Fourth falls on a Monday. Many tourists have already left for home, but there are still plenty of people around. By 9:15 p.m., Donica has already spotted a violation of laws against open containers of alcohol. She in- structs a twenty- something male to pour out his beer. He readily com- plies. "The night activity is what keeps us the busiest," Donica said, scanning the sidewalks near Legacy Park as she cruises by in her patrol car. She looks for a spot to park, but not even police officers are immune to the parking problems along the downtown water- front on the Fourth of July. At 9:25 p.m., Donica and Kayler begin their foot patrol. "We try to make to sure families have a good .time," Donica said. "Nothing is worse than some obnox- ious drunk ruining your good time." By 9:27 p.m., Donica and Kayler are stopped by a citizen who wants to know what the rules are concerning fireworks on the beach. Donica tells him that using legal fireworks is fine, so long as it's done in a "safe and sane" manner. He thanks her and re- turns to his family. "Safe and sane" is a phrase re- eated often by Donica. It's what she 's hoping for the evening. She is not ut to cite people for petty violations, he's there to be a peace- keeper, and nsure everyone enjoys themselves ithout having to worry about the ctions of others. At 9:33 p.m., she informs another an that open beers are not allowed. e pours it out without protest. Two inutes and 50 yards farther, she spots third male trying unsuccessfully to onceal an open can of beer. She lets im go with a warning. Most of her encounters with rule "Nothing is worse than some obnoxious drunk ruining your good time. " Lt. Carla Donica McCall City Police Dept. violators Monday night were for open containers. The perpetrators claimed ienorance, or looked sheepishly guilty, but none talked back or causeu a si.,,.,.. . Part of the reason is they were trying to avoid a ticket, but it is also because of the way Donica treated them, which was politely and without condescen- sion. "Most people are usually willing to comply, and they're very coopera- tive," she said. She said she typically lets people off with a warning the first time they are caught carrying beers in public. They lose their beer, and then she re- checks them later to ensure they didn't slip off to the cooler for another one. But Donica also knows that some- thing as minor as an open beer can escalate into something more serious. At 9:38 p.m., Donica and Kayler met up with other officers citing a man for an open container violation. After disc�ov_ering an open bottle of beer, the a1FfI& ",covered a loaded .22 handguti, a knife, and several tyle; of illegal fireworks in the roan's pickup. The man, who the officers believed was intoxicated, was not happy with the citations, but they decided not to take him to jail. A sticker on the rear window of the man's truck read: "I'm the person your parents warned you about." The police monitored his ac- tivities until he eventually left town, driven by his wife. Donica and Kayler resumed their patrol. Most people smiled or waved and said hello when the officers walked past. Others nervously looked away. Many times that evening, Donica was greeted by name. Rarely did the two officers travel more than 50 yards without someone stopping them to ask a question. The inquiries varied as much as the people asking them. Parents wanted to know what fireworks were legal, little :rids wanted the officers to stop their sib- lings from picking on them. At 9:55 p.m., after a short lull, Donica and Kayler approached a man driving an unlicensed four -wheel ATV on a public road. He had his young daughter on the gas tank and his wife on back. Donica informed him it is illegal to ride in public streets. He replied that he is partially handi- capped, and has trouble getting around on foot. She allowed him to continue riding the ATV so the family can find a spot to watch the fireworks. The evening continues. With dark- ness making it difficult to distinguisl The minors also have a brick of what someone's beverage of 6oi4irecrackers, and the officers are try - is, and the fireworks display exploding to find out who it belongs to. One ing overhead, the crowd is quiet as thPf the youths gets angry and kicks at officers continue their patrol. the half case of beer laying on the In the following 20 minute .,ground. Donica informed several people thi "Thev don't ,nem tr%- i,_.__ _ their dogs are not allowed in the parhof us are around, they still test us," she and asked them to please put them i said. their vehicles. Once again, they al Donica said most of the problems complied without complaints. police have during the holiday is with Donica rechecks one of her earlie 18 to 23 year -olds, and many of the open container violators. He iincidents involve alcohol. "Drunks beerless. aren't fun to deal with, some are fight - With the fireworks display burslers," she said. ing overhead in rainbow explosion Donica and Kayler continue their and thunderous concussions, Donica'patrol. It's an hour until the Fourth of eyes vigilantly scan the crowd�July weekend officially comes to a searching for any signs of troubleclose, but for the police, it isn't really She spots the tell -tale streak of smokover until the bars close and the people and hollow pop of a bottle rockehave all gone home. exploding above a vacant lot. Donica hopes to be off duty in an Like a bird dog going on point, shhour, but there's no guaranteeing it locks onto its point of origin. Mcwill happen. She's been on duty since ments later, a second bottle rock48 a.m, and has been working 14 to 16 ascends, terminating in a brief flashour days since Friday. and pop. Now she sees exactly when But for a Fourth of July night, it came from, but she hesitates alDonica's patrol has been relatively proaching the area until she can di;uneventful. "This is pretty dam quiet," tinguish who is doing the actual firinshe said as she turned the car around of the bottle rockets, which are ncfor another pass throqzh town. only illegal, but also are a major cause of accidental fires. At 10: 27 p.m., a third bottle rocket sails skyward, and Donica turns on her flashlight as she approaches. A teen -age boy looks up like a deer caught in the headlights. An empty bottle rocket container is by his leg. His father is sitting a few feet away. Donica questions them about the bottle rockets. They tell her they were firing off a few left over bottle rockets that they bought at an Indian reserva- tion. They assure her they have no more, and she makes sure they know firing bottle rockets is illegal. She lets them off with a stern warning. The father is apologetic, the son is ner- vous. The official fireworks display is winding to a close. The people are leaving the park. Donica exchanges small talk with several locals. As the flood of cars stream past, she decides to check the intersection downtown to see if the traffic is flow- ing smoothly. The cars are dispersing in an orderly fashion, so Donica and Kayler return to the police car and resume their patrol. At 10:42 p.m., she re- checks on a man who she earlier caught outside his motor home with an open beer. He's empty- handed. At 10:45 p.m., a call comes over the radio that another officer is arrest- ing a drunk driver. At 10:49 p.m., Donica joins other officers citing six minors for posses- sion of alcohol. "This what we'll deal with for the next two hours," she said. The Star-News Sept 1, 1994 Family claims harassment by McCall police BY TOM GROTE The Star -News A McCall woman and her two chil- dren have filed claims totaling $2 million against the city of McCall after they said they were traumatized by police officers earlier this year. The claims, reviewed last week by the McCall City Council, were in the names of Heidi Jo Herrick Wilde and her two children, Brittney, 3, and Kenneth, 2. The claims seek $1 mil- lion for Heidi Wilde and $500,000 each for her two children. Council members took no action on the claim but referred them to the city's insurance company. Such claims are required under state before a lawsuit for damages may be filed against the city. The claims were filed as a result of an incident that happened on Feb. 3 at the Lakeside Avenue apartment where the three claimants lived. According to the claim, McCall Police Sgts. K.C. Chuba and Bob Stowe arrived at the apartment with a worker from the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare asking to inspect the apartment. Wilde refused to allow the officers to enter, after which the officers "barged, and proceeded to search the apartment," the claim said. Wilde said she took her children and went into a friend's car, after which Stowe began yelling at her, the claim said. Stowe threatened to take away the children "and that (she) would never see them again," and also threatened Wilde physically, the claim said. Wilde could not go to work that night and was afraid to leave the house. ,_As a result, she was forced to tempo- rarily move in with her father and stepmother, the claim said. Wilde said in the claim she has lived in continual fear since the inci- dent and has suffered severe eating, sleeping and emotional disorders that have required counseling. Her children have been trauma- tized by the incident and as a result have lost their residences and "the stability of their lives," the claim said. The claim said Chief Ed Parker told Wilde on March 9 he had asked for and received Stowe's resignation. Parker also apologized for the inci- dent. In an interview, Parker declined to discuss the incident, but confirmed Stowe resigned shortly after an inves- tigation into the incident was com- pleted. Chuba also recently left the de- partment, but for personal reasons not related to the Wilde incident, Parker said. In other action last Thursday night: • Laundry Hook -Up: Council members ordered changes made in its policy on sewer hook -up fees in order to allow Old Town Market to install a laundromat. Old Town Market owner John Larson said he wants to buy 24 wash- ing machines from McCall Dry Clean- ers, which is being evicted from its building this week, and install them at his store. But when Larson checked into the city's sewer connection fee, he was told the laundromat would cost $76,710 to hook up. That figure was based on a calculation that said the laundromat would put out enough waste water to equal 125 homes, said McCall attorney Steve Millemann, who represented Larson. Millemann said the hook -up fee was absurd, especially given the fact Larson was buying the laundromat for $25,000. When looking at actual use of water at the laundromat, rather than the city's formulas, the fee should be between $8,000 and $11,000, he said. But Millemann further argued the hook -up fee should be waived com- pletely since the washers would be using water already being circulated through Old Town's refrigeration compressors. There would be no in- crease in water usage and likely a decrease, he said. Council members agreed with Millemann's arguments, but the cur- rent city code does not outline waiv- ers for such situations. City Attorney Ted Burton was instructed to draft an amendment to the code for consider- ation at the council's Sept. 8 meeting. Burton also was told to close a potential loophole in the city's zoning code in which the owners of the McCall Dry Cleaners site might want to start another laundromat. The owners might claim they owed no sewer hook -up fees since a laundromat was a previous use on the site. Council members said they wanted a one -year "use it or lose it" provision for commercial uses. McCall Dry Cleaners was acquired by J.R. Simplot Co. as part of The Marketplace in McCall, and the build- ing is scheduled to be torn down. The Star-News 9/15/94 Photo by Tom Grote The newest members of the McCall Police Department are Lance Rogers, left; and Chris Yensen. McCall police adds 2 officers 3Y TOM GROTE he Stu-News The McCall Police Department Ptas hired two new officers, Sgt. Chris Yensen and Patrolman Lance Rogers, to the city police corps. Yensen, 29, is a life -long resi- dent of Valley County, having been raised on a ranch near Donnelly. He tttended Boise State University be- i'ore joining the Valley County Sheriff's Office in 1986 as a dis- patcher and jailer. He moved to road patrol for the sheriff's office in 1988 and attained the rank of sergeant in 1991. A devoted golfer, he and his wife, Pamela, have two children, Andy, 6, and Jina, 10. Yensen kept his sergeant's stripes n his move to McCall police, where he is a patrol supervisor, field train- ing officer and firearms instructor. "McCall is a unique area to work in law- enforcement," Yensen said. "It is active and busy, but we don't have the major crime like you do in Boise." He said he especially enjoys keep- ing in contact with people he has known all of his life, and he also is able to keep track of repeat offend- ers. Rogers, 30, was born in San Mateo, Calif. He attended commu- nity colleges in California before attending Sonora State University, where he majored in physical edu- cation. He also coached football, including six years for high school teams and four years for college teams. His first law- enforcement expe- rience was in the summer of 1993 as a boat deputy on Cascade Reservoir for the Valley County Sheriff's Of- fice. Last summer, Rogers completed a law- enforcement course at the Col- lege of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls and earned his associate degree. His wife, Cherish, is a 9 -1 -1 emergency operator with the sheriff's office. The couple has one child, Breanna, 2. The two patrol officers join seven other sworn officers on the McCall force. They include Chief Ed Parker, Lt. Carla Donica, Sgt. Mike Allen, Cpl. Kreig Hill and Patrolmen Jim Kangas, Rick Vaughn and Mark Donica. Officer Ken Francis is not a sworn officer, but enforces city ordinances on parking, dog - control and signs. The Star-News 5/29/95 Page #1 of 2 Pages McCall police, ex - officer trade charges Larry Olson By Randall Brooks The Star -News Former McCall Police Sgt. Larry C. Olson said "petty resentment from other officers" was the main reason he chose to resign from the McCall Police Department last week after 10' /z years of service. Olson made his comments Sun- day in defending statements made in a resignation letter he wrote to the city. The letter became public last week when a copy was made available by an unknown source. Police Chief John Lyon said Monday that Olson was in no way forced to resign. But Lyon said he had decided to demote Olson to the rank of corporal before Olson resigned. Lyon said the pending demo- tion was based on unresolved problems concerning Olson's leadership ability and work per- formance as a police officer. Lyon had promoted Olson to sergeant in 1978. Olson did not know about the letter announcing the demotion decision before he resigned, Lyon said. Lyon said his letter had outlin- ed at least 10 reasons for the pro- posed demotion, many based upon a list of allegations from other McCall officers. Lyon said some specific items included: • Ordering uniform patches without permission. • Misuse of public funds to buy cocktails for an employee dinner after the McCall Winter Car- nival. • Taking leave in May without a written request. • Failing to record departmen- tal work records such as com- penstory time and sick pay on the city computer. • Failure to -order ammunition, tear gas cannisters, and other equipment items deemed necessary by other officers. • Hoarding and locking up recording tapes, uniforms and other supplies from other of- ficers. • Advising two members of the department they should "pad" daily mileage activity reports by driving around Payette Lake at the end of a shift. A replacement for Olson is ex- pected to be hired at a special Mc- Call City Council meeting scheduled to begin at 7:00 n.m. tonight at McCall City Hall. Olson said that the affects of his score in a new performance evaluation procedure and the in- creasing lack of communication with other officers on the force led to his decision to resign. He explained that the depart- ment recently had started using a new system, begun by Lyon in April, which uses a point value placed on arrests made and tickets written. The points accumulated by an officer is used to evaluate an of- ficer's performance. "I don't feel I'm lazy," Olson said. "But I don't care to go out and sit 4 -6 hours on a shift look- ing for speeders." Olson said that when the system began in April, Lyon had t told him that each officer was to get at least 22 points per month, or about one per working day. Various citation and arrest duties were assigned a point value by the chief. Olson said an arrest of a drunk driver was worth 20 points, a citation issued for failure to pro- vide proof of insurance was worth six points, while speeding tickets and most other citations were worth one point each: "I give a unit of measurement to things I define as work," Lyon said Monday. Things such as giv- ing help to motorists or assisting citizens are part of the job and not counted, he said. In defending the system, Lyon said that most departments have performance evaluation systems based upon some unit of measurement. He said the point totals of each officer are compared with each other to obtain an average for the month. Those comparative figures, rather than total points each month, determine whether an officer is doing his share of the "work, "'he said. Olson said his employment problems at the McCall Police Department started when he was advised verbally by Lyon on April 23 that his work perfor- mance was not satisfactory and to work out complaints from the other officers on the force, Ed Parker, Elias Leija, Steve Russell and Michael Tambini. On May 6, he was given a letter from Lyon advising him that his performance over the past several months had been unsatisfactory. "Other officers have com- plained to me about having to carry your work load," Lyon's letter said. "They also have many problems with you as a super- visor." The letter gave the results of the April performance evalua- tion, in which Lyon found that Olson had completed just over 50 percent of the average individual work load compared with other officers on the force. For April, both Lyon and Leija had 81 points on their records, while Parker had 58. Olson said The Star-News 5/29/95 Page #2 of 2 Pages he had made only one drunk driv- ing arrest that month, and had a total of 35 total points. Lyon said Monday that the lack of activity in April by Olson is punctuated by the fact that Olson issued only nine citations and made one arrest during the entire year of 1984. Lyon said he had issued 160 citations. The letter also contained a direct order to meet jointly with the other officers and work out differences by May 15. "John gave me the letter and said if I didn't meet with the guys, I'd lose at least one stripe," said Olson. "It was rather a shock. It m^ +e me somewhat upset ... at that time I really started thinking of dumping the city." McCall Mayor Clyde Archer said a meeting between McCall City Council member Larry Craig, who also serves as police commissioner, himself and the officers was held at his office on May 15. At the meeting, Olson was handed what he called a "bitch list" containing a vote of no con- fidence signed by the other four officers on the force and a list of grievances. "We are of the opinion that Sgt. Olson has been insubor- dinate, derelict in his duties as a supervisor and has failed to pre- sent an acceptable image to his subordinates and public that he serves," the officers said in giv- ing reasons for their vote of no confidence. "I did some serious soul sear- ching before deciding to resign," Olson said. Olson said he had nothing to do with releasing the contents of his resignation letter and did not know who had distributed the let- ter. "I feel that I have no choice but to leave the department because I can no longer work to the best of my capabilities with some other members of the force," the letter stated. "I believe that the City Council, Mayor, and City Administrator should examine the policies and actions of the McCall Police Dept. "I feel that John Lyon is not leading his department, he is let- ting others tell him how to run things," the letter said. Olson also asked the council to look at the number of men who had left the department for work outside law enforcement or have gone to work for other law en- forcement agencies. "The fact that these men would leave well paying jobs for ...less pay should tell them ,�: ,�.somgthing is wrong within the department," his letter said. He said that the McCall Police Department has had a complete turnover of officers in the past 16 months. Of the eight officers who have left in the past four years, four subsequently took jobs for less pay with the Valley County Sheriff's department. Officers who have resigned from the department include Ray Earls, Don Van Cleave, Ron Pomerinke, R.C. Jackson, Louis Pratt, Roger Rockwell and now Olson. He said losing that many of- ficers has affected the depart- ment's performance to a degree. Olson also complained about Lyon's performance evaluation system in his resignation letter. "I feel that I could not work with total peace of mind with the new 'point system' John has created," the letter said. "John, there is a total lack of com- munication between you and your officers." In an interview, Olson said, "In May, I was advised that whoever got the most points would get dayshift," he said. "I don't like the competition type of thing. I don't believe in a quota system for such a small town." Lyon and other McCall police officers refuted the existance of any "quota system" such as the requirement of a minimum or maximum number of points to be earned. The officers also denied that any also the lack of com- munication existed. "The Christensen report said I was too dictatorial, so I have completely opened up to imput from the officers," Lyon said. The report Lyon referred to was commissioned by the McCall City Council in 1983 following citizens complaints. It has not been released to the public. The four remaining officers agreed that they were fully behind the police chief and his policies. Lyon said Olson had created the communication problem by blocking the chain of command in the department as the supply sergeant, stopping requests for such things as uniforms or prac- tice ammunition. He also forced other officers to go over Olson to Lyon to get things done, Lyon said.. Olson, however, thought it was the chief who had problems as a manager. "John's a hell of a cop, but sometimes he gets things mixed up." Olson said. "He's led too easy by some of the other guys." The Star-News 8/24/95 Relatives of rape suspects say police used excessive force BY SHARI HAMBLETON The Star-News Ralph Huston doesn't like the way law enforcement officers arrested his brother and cousin earlier this month or the way six teen -agers were treated as the arrest was taking place at their McCall home. Bruce Eugene Huston, 37, of Ontario, Ore., and Trent Edward Black, 31, of Fruitland, were arrested just after midnight, Aug. 11 on a warrant charging them in the rape and beating of a 21- year -old woman the prior week near John Day, Ore. DelmarJoe Huston, 31, of Otis, Ore., is also being sought on a similar warrant, but remained at large this week. Ralph Huston, 38, from Lincoln County, Ore., is the brother of Delmar and Bruce Huston and cousin to Trent Black. Huston said he is upset about what he said was the rough treatment of six teen - agers, ranging in age from 13 to 16, during the arrests at 818 Reedy Lane. All the teen -agers are children or relations of the Huston brothers. The Reedy Lane home is leased to Bruce Huston and his wife. "The police came in here with excessive force," Huston said. "We were sitting outside in lawn chairs just 20 minutes before they busted in here. They could have made the arrest then without endangering these kids." ` "Then ... they didn't even knock," Huston said. "They just booted in the door. I told them there were kids in the house .. and they didn't do anything. Huston said gun - wielding officers then swarmed the house and forced all of the teen -agers out of bed and onto the floor, some of them in just their underwear. Star -News Photo by Sand Hambleton These residents of Reedy Lane believe police used excessive force when their house was raided on Aug. 11. From left are Davina Huston, Josh Horton, Ralph Huston, Kenneth Huston, Hollie Huston and Lonnie Huston. "They slammed them to the ground face first and wouldn't even let the boys put their pants on," he said. ey handcuffed everyone tightly, even the children. We have cuts on our wrists." A specially - trained squad of Idaho State Police officers wearing camou- flage clothing and face paint made it appear to Huston the intruders were anything but law enforcement offic- ers. The ISP officers were joined shortly after entrance was made to the home by McCall Police Department officers and Valley County sheriff deputies, Parker said. "We thought we were getting robbed," Huston said. "They were fully masked. I just told my daughter to do exactly -what they said." Huston said the family was held at gunpoint for about 45 minutes while Bruce Huston and Black were ar- rested and taken away. A dog trained to detect drugs was then used to search the house. "They had no probable cause for that," he said. Huston denied knowing anything about the outstanding warrants or the incident his brothers and cousin are accused of committing. "What I'm concerned about is the way the cops treated the kids in the house when they could have taken them (Bruce Huston and Black) out- side," he said. Parker defended the tactics used during the arrests. "The team that made entry into that house followed the exact procedures as they were trained," Parker said of the ISP offic- ers. "If Mr. Huston has a complaint, he needs to contact me and I'll look into the matter." ISP officers were called to assist in the arrests because of the nature of the criminal charges, the lengthy crimi- nal records of the men being sought and reports from Oregon law enforce- ment authorities the men were "armed and extremely dangerous," Parker said. Bruce Huston and Black are being held at the Valley County Jail await- ing extradition to Oregon. Delmar Huston - who is believed to have been in McCall as late as the day before the arrests - is still being sought, Parker said. Delmar Huston is described as a white male, 5- feet -11, 150 pounds, .with blonde hair and hazel eyes. He reportedly has a number of tattoos on his arms and shoulders. Members of the public who may have any current information about Delmar Joe Huston are urged to con- tact the McCall Police Department at 634 -7144. The Star-News 10/12/95 DRUG DOG Canine cop helps McCall police sniff out drugs BY SHARI HAMBLETON The Sim -News Sammy doesn't particularly care about white Porsches. But not long ago he checked one out - thoroughly. With the owner and his companion watching intently, the golden retriever, yellow labrador mix, took.a good sniff - and found what McCall Police De- partment officers later tagged as "paraphernalia" in their police report. Sammy the drug dog — or as the McCall police call him, the "K -9 unit" - came on the force in March. Certi- fied through training in Boise, Sammy has assisted McCall officers, as well as Idaho State Police and Valley County Sheriff Department deputies in drug searches. He can do a search in the fraction of the time it takes two officers," McCall police officer Lance Rogers said. ' Rogers is Sammy's partner. They worked together through the grueling training and work together now pa- trolling the city. Sammy also lives with Rogers, his wife and three -year- old daughter Breanna. While on a recent patrol, Rogers approaches the Lardo Bridge where a group of youths spot his cruiser and take off running, disappearing under the bridge. After convincing them to come out of hiding, Rogers checks the boys out and releases them. He later lets Sammy comb the area for drugs.. Rogers became interested in de- veloping a K -9 unit after being hired onto the McCall Police Department full -time in August 1994. "I have this buddy who works with a K -9 unit, and he said, `If you want to something for your community, ;hting drugs is the way ed *o,' " )gers said. .Initially, Rogers spent about two onths putting together a proposal to )lice Chief Ed Parker for a K -9 ogram which would have cost about .0,000. "That didn't fly at all," he id. But he persisted and found a dog in Oise that had been rescued from the )g pound and' was ready to begin wining. Rogers proposed trading an ,tra video camera the department owned for the dog. Training cost the department about $1,500. His plan was approved and he and Sammy began their training in Boise. "Any dog can find drugs," Rogers said. "It's just agame to them. Sammy and I had to train together to learn to work as a team. They're a tool ... and you have to know how to use them correctly." But Sammy isn't just a tool, he said. "He's actually got all the power of a regular officer." That means "don't mess with Sammy." Not that he would let you. "Hitting him is like hitting an of- ficer," Rogers said. When Sammy "hits" on drugs, his trained reaction is to sit. "Some dogs are trained to be ag- gressive," Rogers said. "Some are passive. We don't want Sammy tear- ing up someone's car. So we trained him to be passive." The owner of the Porsche must have appreciated that, even though he was later arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alco- hol, possession of paraphernalia and burglary tools. Sammy's training allows him to detect marijuana, methamphetamme, cocaine and heroine in vehicles, build- ings and open outdoor areas, Rogers said. Having Sammy around has im- proved the efficiency of the McCall Police Department without having to add more officers, Rogers said. "Everyone has a little adjusting to do (with Sammy), but they've all been real receptive," he said. "For a small area with limited resources, Sammy improves our efficiency." Dr. Kelley Chamberlain in Don- nelly takes care of Sammy's medical needs, donating vaccinations and other necessary treatments, Rogers said. "He's been a positive addition to the police department and his nose does what we can't," Lt. Carla Donica said. "What we may not see he has the ability to locate with his keen sense of smell." Eventually, Donica said Sammy will be used in the schools for public relations programs, and to combat drug abuse. The Star-News 2/15/96 Regina Kayler Native of Spokane Brian Gestrin Former marine patrolman McCall police adds three new officers BY JEANNE HEINS The Star -News There are three new faces in uni- form at the McCall Police Depart- ment. Regina Kayler, Brian Gestrin and Britt Durfee all have recently joined the department. Kayler, 25, was hired by the de- partment in October and recently fin- ished 10 weeks of training at the state police academy in Meridian. While in training, she received an award for physical fitness. Kayler is a native of Spokane, Wash., where she worked as a volun- teer officer for one year. She has also nearly completed an associate of ap- plied science in law enforcement in Spokane. "The versatility and challenges associated with law enforcement have always attracted me," Kayler said. Gestrin, 21, has worked as a re- serve and support officer for several months in McCall. In January, he was hired full -time with the city. Gestrin is originally from the Don- nelly area and received his certificate in law enforcement from the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Fal s. He will attend the state police acad yin March. Gestrin worked as a reserve fficer for the Valley County Sheriff's Of- fice for seven months and has worked as a marine patrolman for the last two summers in the county. . In addition to his work in law en- forcement, Gestrin also donates his time as an emergency medical techni- cian and firefighter in Donnelly. "I really, enjoy serving the public, and being a police officer allows me to do that," he said. Durfee, 42, was hired full -time by the City of McCall in October. He had worked as a reserve officer forMcCall nearly seven months before being hired. Durfee is just finishing his bachelor's degree in political science and public administration from Boise State University, and he holds an as- sociate degree in police science from Idaho State University in Pocatello. He finished his training at the state academy in 1992. Before working for McCall Police Department, Durfee served as the chief of police in Cascade for 2 -112 years. He also worked as a deputy for Valley County for two years. Originally from Gooding, Durfee works as a full -time detective for the McCall force. The three new officers round out a police force of 10 officers in the city's force. They join Chief Ed Parker, Lt. Carla Donica, Sgt. Mark Donica, Sgt. Chris Yensen, Det. Jim Kangas, Of- ficer Lance Rogers and Officer Rick Vaughn. The Star-News 3/7/96 Page 1 of 1 McCall police cope with BY JEANNE SEOL The Star -News Reported crime has tripled in McCall during the last 12 years, with violent and juvenile crime increasing significantly, McCall Police Depart- ment statistics show. Last year, 1,342 felonies and mis- demeanors were reported to the McCall Police Department, compared to 484 of those same crimes reported in 1984. But McCall police officers are catching up to reported crime. The number of arrests made by McCall officers has increased five times, from 91 arrests made in 1984 to 438 arrests made in 1995, according to police department figures. soarnig crime rate The department has also doubled in size since 1984 to keep up with the work load, according to Chief Ed Parker. The department currently employs 10 full -time officers and one support officer who is funded by grant money. Officers are also now patrolling 22 square miles- almost double the area they patrolled 12 years ago - because of more land annexed by the city,. Parker said. Parker attributes the rise in reported crime to a greater influx of people traveling through the area, and he said the rise in arrests is due to having more officers on the street. Det. Britt Durfee said crime in McCall has always been present, but more officers are making more ar- ing in McCall, but is skyrocketing through the entire state and nation," Durfee said. "We're seeing a',ot more repeat juvenile offenders." Since 1990, state Bureau. of Crimi- nal Identification records show juvenile drug and paraphernalia of- fenses have quadrupled in the state, and tobacco violations and driving while intoxicated charges have doubled. In addition, McCall i s seeing more drug- related crime, an,;� police have taken a zero - tolerance policy against violators. "In the past, the stat-us -quo was to try and get offenders to,roll over their local dealers for a reduced sentence, and then go after the loca I dealer to try to make them name their supplier," rests, and more citizens are starting to report crime. "Neighborhood watches are start- ing to form and citizens are becoming more confident that McCall police will respond and solve crimes," he said. Lt. Carla Donica agreed. "The crime has always been here; we just haven't had the manpower to catch it. Now we do." Since 1984, a full -time juvenile detective and full -time narcotics de- tective have been added to the McCall Police Department, in response to more juvenile crime and more drug - related crime in the McCall area. A drug dog has also been trained and is used to locate drugs at a crime scene. "Juvenile crime is not only increas- Det. Jim Kangas said. "But now the offenders are going to go to jail; they will be held responsible. The roll- over method is in the past." Although local crime is increas- ing, arrests are also increasing because of more citizen assistance to the po- lice department, Parker said. "Citizens are getting to be a more active part of our community policing method all the time," Parker said. "We want to be pro- active in fighting crime, not reactive, and citizen in- volvement is a key to that policing theory." Parker said part of that policing involves more patrol by officers. McCall residents should expect to see police cars on their streets and offic- ers keeping an eye out for crime. 19� 1995 1984 1995 Star -News graphic by Tomi Grote McCall's crime activity, 1984 -95. The Star-News 3/7/1996 Police OK mutual -aid agreement BY JEANNE SEOL The Star -News A mutual aid agreement between three law enforcement agencies in Valley County was finally agreed upon and signed last week despite continued "disharmony" between the Valley County Sheriff's Department and McCall and Cascade police de- partments. The agreement outlines when, how and at whose liability police officers from the McCall and Cascade police departments are to assist deputies in the Valley County Sheriff's Depart- ment. The agreement has been years in the making, but has never been signed because of differences in opinion on liability issues between Valley County Sheriff Lewis Pratt and McCall Po- lice Chief Ed Parker and Cascade Police Chief Chris Hall. At past Valley County Commis- sioner meetings in Cascade, Pratt had put off signing the agreement over concern about whose liability insur- ance would cover city officers responding to a problem in the county. Under the agreement, each depart- ment assumes its own liability, regardless where district officers are located. But Parker said liability should never have been an issue because all three law enforcement agencies have the same insurance carrier. "I've been ready to sign an agree- ment since 1990," Parker said, adding that the McCall Police Department has had a mutual aid agreement with the Adams County Sheriffs Office since 1993. Pratt acknowledges there has been tension between the sheriff's depart- ment and city police departments in the past, but he said the new mutual aid agreement proves those relation- ships are getting better. "There has in the past been some disharmony between the cities and the county, but in the last two years things have improved," Pratt said. "We're working better together." That improved relationship has been almost mandated by the Valley County Commissioners, who late last year ordered the three agencies into a room and told them not to come out until they had details of a mutual atd agreement hammered out. That meeting forced the sheriff, police chiefs and agency attorneys to finally sit down and work out liability concerns and. hammer out the final agreement. But the recently signed pact still does not allow city police officers to fully do their jobs, Parker said. Parker said he would like an addi- tional "extraterritorial agreement" signed between the cities and sheriff s department so city officers can better investigate crime. Currently, if a McCall suspectcom- mits a crime in the county, McCall officers cannot even enter the county for investigation purposes without first notifying the sheriff,'chief deputy or investigator, Parker said. Then the McCall officer must ar- range to meet with the county officer at that person's convenience to talk with a suspect or investigate a crime in the county. "What happens when none of these three people are available is that it creates a huge backlog for our depart- ment because we can't investigate and solve crime," Parker said. "The wheels of justice are slowing and we're not serving our victims properly with these delays." Pratt said he favors such an extra- territorial agreement, but hasn't had time to sit down with city officials to work out a deal. "We've been concentrating on the mutual aid agreement," he said. "We will be working on an extraterritorial agreement in the future." Conditions in the recently signed mutual aid agreement include: (See "Police, " Back Page) 31171 /"r 46 • Mutual aid will be provided to the requesting department in the case of an emergency, catastrophe, or when needed. • The agreement is for five years unless one of the parties wants to pull out early by giving 30 days notice. • No department employee will receive any compensation for mutual aid assistance provided. Officers re- sponding outside their district will be paid by their current employer. • The agreement will be enforced by a joint board consisting of the sheriff and the city police chiefs. • Any request for mutual aid will be made through the Valley County Sheriff's dispatch office. That request must name the official who is in charge of police control at the scene where assistance is needed. • The requesting department will have on -site command and direction- of equipment, and will be primarily responsible for making arrests. The Star-News 3/21/96 Wooley Ave. residents say speeders threaten their kids BY JEANNE SEOL The Star -News The last time Therese Peppersack asked a motorist to slow down on Wooley Avenue, the driver swerved in an attempt to hit her and cursed her as he drove by. Peppersack and her neighbors, Kim Drake, Laura Perkins and Sally Smelser, all who live on or near Wooley Avenue in McCall, say they have witnessed cars driving at high speeds in their residential neighborhood. Perkins estimates some motorists to be driving between 40 miles per hour and 50 mph on a street that is posted at 20 mph. Peppersack, Drake and Perkins say they have all made at least one phone call to the McCall Police Department complaining of the speeding cars on Wooley Avenue, but they say so far, nothing's been done. "I am literally dreading summer because I know my kids are going to want to go outside and play," said Perkins, who has a large front and back yard at her home on Wooley Avenue. McCall Police Chief Ed Parker dis- agrees. "I have personally gone to that street and done radar checks, but I've never seen anyone speeding," Parker said. "Time permitting, more officers will be dispatched to that area and work radar, just like we do everywhere else in McCall," he said. Parker said Wooley Avenue is properly posted with speed limit signs, and he even reduced the speed limit in that area from 25 mph to 20 mph following complaints from Peppersack. "I am literally dreading summer because J know my kids are going to want to go outside and play. " - Laura Perkins Therese Peppersack, right, is surrounded by children in her Wooley Avenue neighborhood. From left are Jessica Lillehaug, Suzanne Lillehaug, Kelsey Perkins, Codi Perkins and Cassie Drake. Also pictured are Peppersack's dogs, Kalib and Ruger. Star -News Photo by Jeanne Seol "We're doing everything we can," Parker said. But Peppersack says McCall Police's "everything" isn't enough. During the past year, Peppersack's dog has been seriously injured when it was run over by a car, and Perkins has had her family dog killed by a speeding motorist who didn't even slow down or look back after hitting the animal. "But I'm not going to be able to let my kids out the front door because there's just too much traffic on this street. I'm going to have to take my kids somewhere else so they can play and be safe. That's not fair," Perkins said. Wooley Avenue has seen more traffic since Payette Lakes Middle School opened in January, Peppersack said. She said motorists coming from the school use Spring Mountain Ranch Boulevard and then turn on Wooley Avenue as a shortcut from the school to Davis Avenue. "It's a very busy street, especially when school lets out and children start walking home from school on this street," Peppersack said. "That's when we see the most speeding cars, and that's when the children are most in danger." Peppersack said she has repeatedly asked McCall police officers to conduct radar checks and put up more signs on the street, but is unhappy with the result. "I have never seen one patrol car in this neighborhood," she said. The pair acknowledge that their dogs should not be let loose into the street, but say their children like to play with the pets outside. "When dogs get injured, people tell us to tie our dogs up," Drake said. "Well that's fine, but what about our children? Are we supposed to tie them up too ?" Drake, Peppersack and Perkins have all asked drivers to slow down only to be called obscene names by the passing motorists. A homemade sign constructed out of plywood and painted by Peppersack was knocked down and run over. It said: "Caution, Children and Dogs At Play." "We found tire tracks on it the next day," Peppersack said. . Drake said she realizes the prob- lem will not be solved only by McCall police because she knows officers can't be everywhere in the city at once. She puts more blame on the people speeding through the neighborhood. "People just need to be more con- siderate and drive the speed limit," Drake said. "Everyone's children who use this street are at risk, "I don't want to see qne of these children get hurt before something happens," Peppersack agreed. "I want to see action taken now." Long Valley Advocate 1/29/97 McCall Police ready to take up snowmobile patrol Officers Denning and Babbitt and their new pursuit vehicles. MCCALL — McCall Police Officers Denise Denning and Mike Babbitt have some hot new rides these days. They're the new designated officers who'll be handling enforce- ment of the city's new snowmobile ordinance. The two took posses- sion recently of snowmobiles loaned to the department by Medley Sports and Harry's Dry Dock & Sports Marina. And, the two have been getting in some riding time as they prepare to begin enforcing the new ordinance, which takes effect Feb. 1. One area of concern, according to McCall Police Chief Ed Parker is that the two may find themselves on Third Street on occasion trying to enforce the ordinance. Under Idaho law, snowmobiles aren't allowed on Third Street, which is also Idaho Highway 55. He wanted everyone to be aware that just because you may see an officer on the street performing her or his duty, that doesn't mean it's okay to snowmobile on the highway, which passes all the way through McCall. The two snowmobiles, which can top 100 miles per hour in speed, are equipped with flashing warning lights along with all the other safe- ty equipment that snowmobilers are required to carry, including the 5 -foot mast with orange flag on it. While part of the patrol's job will be education, Parker said those flagrantly violating the city's ordinance will be dealt with to the max- imum extent of the law. Beginning on Feb. 1, those who want to ride their machines in town will be required to undergo a safety inspection /ordinance orientation, and also display one of the flags. The Long Valley Advocate 2/19/97 McCall City Council names Donica new police chief MCCALL — The McCall City Council last Wednesday night decided to promote from within, and in naming their replacement for out -going Chief Ed Parker ended up hiring who is believed to be the first female police chief in Idaho history. By unanimous vote, the coun- cil confirmed City Manager Gary Shimun's appointment of Lt. Carla Donica, a 7 -year veteran with the department, to be the city's new Chief of Police. Council members had been expected to, at the least, name her as the interim chief until the Council decided how to proceed with fill- ing the post. But, based on her experience with the department, along with the fact that she has frequently served as acting chief when Parker was off -duty or out -of -town, Shimun decided to recommend her for the post on a permanent basis. "I have been absolutely over- whelmed by the positive response from the community," Donica said in an interview Monday. "I would like to thank Gary Shimun and the City Council for giving me the opportunity to lead the depart- ment, and for their confidence in my ability to lead the department." The 41- year -old mother of one said she feels ready for the job. She started as a reserve with the department in April of 1989, and that during that time she routine- ly handled the chief's responsi- bilities. "It's that on- the -job training that makes me feel real confident that I can handle the position of chief," she said. A resident of McCall since 1984, Donica was born and raised in Boise. Addressing the whole issue of women in law enforce- ment, she said that when she start- ed out with the McCall depart- ment, women in law enforcement in Idaho were not that common. Because of that, she said she believes she has had to overcome some extra challenges. And she has succeeded, she believes, not because of her gender, but because of her performance. "I'm proud to be a police offi- cer and feel very fortunate to have been appointed chief," she said. While she said it's a little soon Carla Donica believed to be first woman chief in state history New Chief of Police, Carla Donica for her to discuss specifics at, any changes in the departmen. she'd like to make, Donica did say she plans to continue work- ing to foster the closer coopera- tion between law enforcement agencies in the county, coopera- tion that took a big step forward in January when newly- elected Sheriff Tommy Rhea took office. But working more closely with the public is also at the top of her list, she said. . "What I'm really looking for- ward to, is more involvement and cooperation between the depart- ment and the public," she said. To that end, she said she wants to find out more about public concerns, and then work to develop pro- grams to address those concerns. Donica said she also wants to research an employee develop- ment program and investigate other ways to reduce turnover in the department. One key component of that is a compensation plan and incen- tive program that could see increased salaries for officers. The City Council is looking at some ideas now, she said. Donica said officers need to feel like they can stay in McCall and make a career here instead of treating the MPD simply as a step- ping stone to a higher - paying posi- tion somewhere else. She said she is aware that there are detractors who will be watch- ing her closely, some perhaps wait- ing for her to fail. Let them watch, she said. "I'm not blind to the fact that there are some people who don't think I'm right for the position," Donica said. "But I've received a lot of support, and I'm confident I can do the job." The Star-News 2/20/97 Page #1 of 2 Pages McCall names its first female chief of police is the second woman in Idaho history to hold the position of police department chief SEOL Star-News he may have gotten a late start in law enforcement, but Carla Donica has made up for lost time. Donica, 41, was appointed chief of the McCall Police Department last week by City Manager Gary Shimun. Her appointment was confirmed by the McCall City Council on Feb. 12. Chief Ed Parker will leave the department on Friday to serve as chief for the Garden City Police Department. Donica will begin her duties as chief on Saturday. "I am very proud to be a police officer and feel very fortunate to be appointed chief," said Donica, who now holds the rank of lieutenant. "I believe the mayor, the city ouncil and city manager are all very progressive and I'm very grateful they gave me this opportunity to lead the department." Donica is only the second woman in Idaho history to serve as a city police chief, according to a spokesman at the state police academy in Meridian. The other is Katie Whitely, the current chief of the Troy Police Department in northern Idaho. But Donica said her sex is not an issue. "To me, this is not a gender -based position," she said. "I have had a lot of support from the department, city leaders and citizens. I don't feel that support has come because I'm a woman, I feel it's come because of my performance." Donica, a Boise native, joined the McCall Police Department in 1989 as a volunteer reserve police officer. At the time, she was working full -time as an insurance agent. "I wanted to become more involved in the community and found that law enforcement was something I really liked," Donica said. "I got a late start at age 33, but I really liked what I could give to the community through the department. fter volunteering up to 30 hours a week as a reserve officer for eight months, Donica was hired as a full - time officer in 1990, promoted to detective, then to detective sergeant and finally to lieutenant in 1994. Since then, she has served as the department's lead detective. Donica is a graduate of the state police acad- emy and holds an intermediate certificate in law enforcement. She has completed almost 1,000 hours of state training. Donica has also been active in the Valley County Child Abuse Task Force, specializing in Star -News Photo by Jeanne Seol Carla Donica is the new chief of the McCall Police Department. handling crimes against women and children. Though she said it was premature to talk about changes she may make, Donica said she will continue Parker's efforts to develop more coop- eration between the police and the community. "You're going to see officers out of their vehicles more, with more foot patrol and interac- tion with the public," Donica said. "The public needs to know who their police officers are." Donica said she will work to establish more neighborhood watch programs and will take an active approach to fighting crime by having of- ficers talk with citizens and business owners to identify concerns. "The number one reported crime in McCall is burglary and grand theft," Donica said. "We need to find ways to bring those numbers down." Donica is also concerned with an increase in juvenile crime and the amount of narcotics enter- ing McCall. Fighting the influx of drugs and maintaining the department's "zero tolerance" toward narcotics will continue to be a priority, she said. Starting an employee development program that will give incentives to officers to stay with The Star-News 2/20/97 Page #2 of 2 Pages the department is also a priority for Donica. "We don't want a constant rotation of officers, and we need to cut down our turnover costs," she said. Though Donica is determined not to let her gender play a role as chief, she said she has worked to overcome some challenges as a female police officer. She doesn't expect _ that to change. "I'm not blind to the fact that there are some people who don't feel I'm the right person for this position for whatever reason," Donica said. "But I have received a lot of support and I am confident that I will have a posi- tive impact on this departnent." Valley County Sheriff Tommy Rhea said in an interview that he was "absolutely and totally elated" at Donica's appointment to McCall po- lice chief. "I have had the pleasure of work- ing with her for the past six years and I know the people of Valley County will benefit from the quality of our working relationship," Rhea said. Police department city's second largest As McCall police chief, Carla Donica will oversee a department that includes 10 full -time police officers, a drug dog, a code enforcement officer, a records clerk and a senior administrative assistant. The McCall Police Department follows the public works department as the second largest city department in both employee numbers and budget figures, with a $665,540 total budget. By spring, public access to the depart- ment will be improved by a new direct, public entrance on the west side of McCall City Hall, Donica said. A full -time police clerk will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Fri- -. day to answer questions and direct public concerns to appropriate officers. The entrance will be more convenient for walk -in reports, complaints and for the pub- lic to have a chance to directly speak to an officer, Donica said. The entrance is one more way for the department to become more "public friendly," she said. Long Valley Advocate 5/21/97 Bust of party house signals zero - tolerance on teen drinking The recent bust by the McCall Police Department of a West Lake Street house being used by teenagers for parties involving alcohol and marijuana should send an important message at a very critical time — when high schools across the state and nation are graduating classes. McCall Police Chief Carla Donica said the house was broken into earlier this winter and for several weeks during February and March, the teens used the home as a place to party. As a result of the bust, 16 teenagers from McCall and Cascade have been charged with alcohol, tobac- co, marijuana and curfew violations. Some of the teens face burglary charges. There was about $300 worth of clean -up to be done, and there is about $3,000 worth of stolen property being investigat- ed, she said. Donica said the department is adhering to a strict zero tolerance philosophy on underage drinking and driving in the coming weeks. "This has always been our policy, but during the next several weeks the McCall officers will be par- ticularly watchful for these types of violations, espe- cially keg parties," she said. She said surrounding agencies, even Ada County, are sharing information and otherwise working togeth- er to locate all keggers. Donica also said that it's a common misconception that kids can drink if a par- ent approvies. That is not true, she said. "Our intent is to save lives, prevent injuries and discourage chemical dependency by doing our part, which is enforcement of the law," she said. Cascade Police Chief Chris Hall said his depart- ment, along with all of Valley County's law enforce- ment and judicial system, also has a zero tolerance policy, and they've added something else to the mes- sage. Sitting in front of Cascade High School for the past couple of weeks has been a t -boned Ford pick- A warning about drinking and driving if ever there was one. up that was involved in an accident on Idaho Highway 55 in the canyon just below Round Valley last year. The driver of that vehicle had been drinking and using marijuana at the time of the accident, he said. Hall said the idea came from Calvin Cummings, owner of Mountain Towing, where the wreck has been stored since the accident. On the pickup are banners carrying messages of don't drink and drive, and have a sober graduation. "We want them to open their eyes a bit and see what the repercussions are (of drinking and driving)," he said. "I hope we don't have to do any enforcement, that's the whole idea of the pickup truck," Hall said. "Our goal is abstinence on their part." He said they want students, and everyone, to make good deci- sions. Donica also said she wants teenagers to know that law enforcement cares about their health and safety. One of the most unpleasant parts of her pro- fession, she said, is responding to an accident to find a local youth injured or killed. "You must remember that we see you every day going to and from school and work," she said. "We smile and wave at you as we pass on the street. We stop and talk with you. f, I "We watch each one of you become part of our community," she said. She said that anyone with information about a keg party that might be taking place or planned, should call the McCall Police at 634 -7144, or the Valley County Sheriff's Office at 382 -4202. 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MERIDIAN, MERIDIAN PROUD TO SUPPORT THE IPOA FOR MAKING OUR COMMUNITY A SAFER PUCE TO UVE "The strength of a nation lies in the homes of its people." — .Abraham Lincoln ARCADIA Apartments QUALITY LIVING AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE WE SUPPORT THE PEACE OFFICERS WHO LAY THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE DAILY. Calf 384 -0084 1611 W. State St., Boise, ID History of the McCall Police Department McCall is a city located approxi- mately 10 miles North of Boise in the central Idaho mountains. Payette Lake, a large, deep body of water which is fed by the North Fork of the Payette River, is a part of the town. Brundage Mountain, a recreational ski area, is located approximately 10 miles North of town. Many other recreational opportunities are also available in and around the city. Some of these include fishing, snow - mobiling, hiking, hunting and cross country skiing. McCall has a resident population of approximately 2,700 people. Tracing the history of the McCall Police Department proved to be a difficult task. We were able to find some old minutes kept by the city's "Board of Trustees" during the early and mid 1900s. After 1948, records were impossible to find. It's my understanding a Chief in the early 1970s cleaned house by destroying all police records and files. That same police Chief was later involved in a high speed chase which ended by him being fatally wounded. Some interest- ing information found in the archives was that on June 9, 1924 a Town Marshal was hired to keep peace. He was paid $100 a month. He was forced to resign on August 8, 1924. On October 1, 1924 a new Town Marshal was hired for $85 a month. During the same Board of Trustees meeting the Marshal was allowed to hire "special police" to help keep the peace on Halloween. Some things never change! During July 1925, a Deputy Marshal was hired to assist the Marshal and was paid $15 a month. On May 16, 1930 a bid was submitted for a jail house. A bid of $650 was accepted and the new one -room jail house was built. It still stands in the downtown area. On January 6, 1932 the Board of Trustees requested the Town Marshal look into continued complaints of dog team/ sleds using the village sidewalks. They also wanted some suggestions on how to clean up the village's gambling Winte: 1997 problems. On April 1, 1932 taxpayers insisted the Marshal's salary be cut to $75 a mont' . On May 3, 1948 a police Chief was hired and paid $231 a month. The salary increased to $320 a month in May 1953. McCall was incorporated as a cit; in 1911, although for many years continued to call itself a village. McCall was originally a logging town, but has evolved into a resort area which now hosts thousands of tourists annually. The first police officer was hired in 1924. The department now has an authorized strength of 10 sworn officers, 1 code enforcement position and 2 support staff. I was appointed Chief in February 1997. POLICING IN A SMALL RESORT COMMUNITY Policing in a small, geographically isolated resort town creates many challenges, but can also provide many rewards. As I previously stated, the city has an annual population of 2,700 people. However, there are thousands ofrecreational homes and cabins in and around McCall. In addition, many special events are held as part of McCall's culture which can draw up to 25,000 people. The difficulty is providing police services to McCall during peak cultural and recreational events which occur each year. These events happen during the winter and summer months requiring department employees to give their all to meet the demands for service. Since the full time population base cannot support a larger police force to handle the peak tourist population, the department has become very innovative in securing enough personnel and equipment resources to handle the influx of people and service demands. The McCall Police Department enters into cooperative agreements for assistance with other small police departments from other communities and counties such as Adams, Boise and Valley counties, and the Cascade, Emmett and Weiser Police departments. The Idaho State POlice is always very willing to assist and routinely provides resources to supplement the McCall Police Department. Each of these agencies and the cities and counties they serve have special events each year which require additional police resources. The cooperative arrangements we have established with these entities bring in the necessary police resources to handle the large crowds. We have also established some alternative policing methods to address the crowds and special needs created by the many recreational opportunities available in the city. Some of these include a Snowmobile Patrol, Bicycle Patrol and Wet Jet Patrol. McCall is probably not unlike many other small towns in Idaho. Service to the community and problem solving are somewhat natural, because the citizens know the officers and the officers are acquainted with the community. There is a real sense of community spirit among the members of the department which, in my opinion, is the key to effective law enforcement in a small community. Members of the department also learn a wide variety of skills and are generally very well rounded after several years of experience. Each officer and staff person must fulfill many aspects of policing because there isn't enough personnel to have special units or divisions. Given this set of circumstances, an officer with the McCall Police Department has the opportunity to initiate a case and see it through to a conclusion. The single greatest "plus" for an officer in a small department versus a larger department is making a difference and being able to see the impact of it for months or years. This type ofpayoff reinforces the positive aspects of police work, which is extremely valuable in a world where the police are increasingly under fire. The McCall Police Department is a close knit group which is responsive to community needs and concerns. The officers are committed to problem solving and service to the citizens of McCall and to all those who vacation here. CURRENT EMPLOYEES OF THE MCCALL POLICE DEPARTMENT Sergeant Jim Kangas is a Supervisor for the Detective Division and covers for me when I am gone fishing. He devotes most of his time to a newly formed tri- agency drug task force, P.R.I.D.E. (Payette River Interagency Drug Enforcement). Jim is the depart- ment's firearms range master and bomb specialist. Jim has been with the department since March 1994. His wife is a business owner in McCall. The Police Department has two Patrol Sergeants to allow for supervision on the night shift. Sergeant Mark Donica (no relation) has been with the department since June 1994. Mark was with Adams County prior to joining the police department. Mark is a certified instructor in EVOC and Alco Sensor. Mark is in charge of maintaining the department's equip- ment and vehicles. He is a member of the Bike Patrol and holds an Intermediate Certificate. Mark is a Staff Sergeant with the Idaho Air National Guard. He has a son and daughter. Sergeant Chris Moore joined the department in October 1996. Chris worked as a patrol officer in Northem Idaho and, prior to that, worked as a police officer in Southern California. Chris holds an Intermediate Certificate and recently completed two weeks of very intense Drug Recognition Expert Training. He is one of 40 DBEs in the state. Chris is a member of the Bike Patrol, the leader of the Scout Explorer program, manages the Reserve program and "Adopt a School" program. Chris is married with three daughters. His wife works for the school district. Corporal Regina Lemberes is the police department's Detective. Sac - joined the department in October 1994. Prior to joining the police depantment, Regina was with the Spokane Police Department as a Cooperative Educa- tion Officer. She has an Associates degree in Law Enforcement/ Administrative Justice. Regina is also the department's narcotics K -9 handler. She and her partner "Brandy" I s,;c _J hold certificates in the State of California and the State of Idaho. Regina is married. Her husband is self employed and serves as a volunteer for the McCall Fire Department. Together they own a wholesale fish and reptile business. Officer Lance Rogers first joined the department in 1994. From 1994 -1996 Lance was the department's K -9 handler. In 1996 Lance moved to California, where he graduated from the Santa Rosa Police Academy. In April 1997 Lance returned to the police department after accepting an offer he could not refuse. Lance has advanced training in highway interdiction and DUI enforcement, and has been known to seize a car or two. He is also a Field Training Officer. Lance is married and has one daughter. His wife is a Valley County Dispatcher. Officer Denise Denning has been with the department since November 1996. Denise came to us with two years of experience in the Nevada Highway Patrol. Denise is a member of the Bike Patrol and leads the Community Policing portion of the department. Denise holds a POST Certificate in Nevada and Idaho, and has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice. Denise holds a Veterinary Health Care Advisor Certificate and has a dog obedience school. Denise is married with one son. Her husband is a Valley County Sheriff s Deputy. Office Matt Moses joined the department in July 1997, after serving as a Valley County Sheriffs Deputy for seven years. Matt has an Intermediate Certificate and has advanced training in accident investigation, drug interdiction and as a Field Training Officer (FTO). While with the Valley County Sheriff, Matt was the narcotic K -9 handler. Matt is married wit.: two children. Malt's wife works for t1he school district. Officer Mark Wright joined the de artment in October 1996 as a reserve and became a full time officer in April 1997. Mark graduated from the Basic Academy in October 1997. Mark has a Bachelor o Science degree in Business Marketing from the University of Idaho and is a member Page 24 of the Bike Patrol. .Officer Cecile Porter joined the department in August 1997 as the department's first School Resource Officer. Cecile came to us from the San Francisco Airport Police with 17 years of experience. She has an Intermediate Certificate with the State of California. Cecile has been very productive in building a positive rapport among the school staff, students and the police department — not an easy job. Cecile is married. Her husband is a retired police officer. Code Enforcement Officer Jerry Summers started with the department in July 1997. His duties include animal, control, City Code enforcement, evidence and property control. Jerry has 17 years of experience in real estate banking, and is an ordained minister. He is marred and has two sons and a daughter. His wife is a former Fish & Game Warden for the State of California, and is now a full time mommy. Nancy Lockhart, Senior Administra- tive Assistant, has been with the department since November 1984. Nancy supervises the operations of the records and the evidence section. She is one of the department' s two certified Breath Test Specialists. Nancy is a committee member for the Scout Explorer program and supervises our High School Career Exploration program. Nancy is currently attending classes to obtain an Associates Degree in Social Science. Nancy is the binding link of the department. All employees, including the Chief, can go to Nancy seeking information and answers concerning all issues. Her dedication to the department and the city is one of a kind. Nancy is married with two step- children. Her husband works for the Idaho Department of Fish & Game as a Fisheries Biologist. Sandi Bianchetti, the Records Technician, joined the department in July 1997. Sandi maintains department records, handles accounts payable, answers the switchboard and greets the public. She protects the rest of us from the public and puts us in our place when warranted. Sandi is married with one son. Sandi's husband is self- employed in micro balance service and sales. Currently we have two Reserve officers, Kevin Bollar and Kenny Francis. Our Scout Explorers are Aaron Bollar, Tawny Hanks, Jake Hersel, Mary Porter, Chris Shake and Eric Tapplin. THE CHIEF, NEW PROGRAMS AND GOALS I was appointed Chief in February 1997, and am the first female McCall Police Chief and the second female chief in the State of Idaho. I was sworn in as a reserve officer in April 1989, winter 1997 then hired as a patrol officer and began my career on New Year's Eve 1989. After 15 months on graveyard patrol, I was assigned as a detective. I became very interested in the investigation of crimes against children and women. I routinely handled child abuse and sex crimes for the police department and surrounding counties. I was directly involved in the development of the Valley County Child Abuse Task Force. In the latter part of 1992 I was promoted to Detective Sergeant, supervising patrol officers and staff. In July 1995 I was promoted to Lieutenant. While in this position I Group photo of Department Explorers F Vjl s IF F +4 �. Group photo of Department Explorers supervised the patrol sergeants and continued in my detective assignment. On numerous occasions since 1992 I was assigned as "acting" Chief during the Police Chief s absences. As Lieutenant, I was also responsible for other administrative functions, such as budget, public speaking, organization of special events and many other duties. Since being appointed Chief, I continue to be involved in the investigation of sex crimes and crimes against children, in addition to my responsibilities as Chief. Part of this is because of necessity, and some is because of my passion and expertise in investigations of this sort. I have been a detective for many years. Therefore, I have a level of experience and training which are important to the department. I am in the process of training officers to take over the investigative positions. I will continue to assist and direct these investigations until they receive some experience. I became a police officer because I wanted to help people and make a difference in the community. This might sound a little old fashioned. However, I feel this is what policing is all about. I have always been a problem solver and have always worked to Group without Explorers Bike parol Page 2 adjudicate issues rather than temporarily fix them. Providing quality empathetic service to the citizens of McCall and to those who vacation here has been my philosophy, and continues to be my direction to members of our department. Over the past few years, police officers and departments have received some very negative publicity. All of this is because of some highly publicized incidents of police abuse involving a few out -of -state agencies, but affect us all. Most of these problems are the result of not treating people like we would like to be treated. No matter what the situation, people should always be left with dignity regardless of their station in life. This doesn't mean that I don't believe in using force or good officer safety techniques. What it does mean is that police officers must treat people professionally in an unoffieious manner. If this is the standard operating philosophy, having to use force is much less likely. I too have avoided many situations which could have gone the other way by treating people kindly, re-mainirg calm, professional and de- escalating a situation with my verbal skills. This concept became very appealing to me early in my career because of the size and strength differences between men and women, not to mention the fact that back -up is many times not quickly available. I learned to solve many situations without resorting to fighting someone. Even though I had to adopt this tactic somewhat out of necessity, I believe it is the right way to handle people as a police officer. I have trained all of the people in the department to respond in this manner, and insist on a professional demeanor when dealing with citizens. Since taking over as Chief, I have evaluated all department operations. As I stated previously, I believe in problem solving and personal empathetic service to the community, and I have always operated this way. What I am talking about is "Community Policing ". As a result, I have initiated several new programs and alternative policing methods to promote this philosophy. Some of the Page 26 r new programs initiated are a School Resource Officer program in the McCall - Donnelly schools, creating a Police Explorer Scout POST and a Bicycle Patrol. We have recently determined that the McCall Police Department uniform shoulder patch should be redesigned. The police department started a project which is school -based to get kids involved in making design proposals. This project was designed to get kids to see the police in a positive light and to give them a stake in their community. There are prizes for the most comical and the best design. It's fun for the kids and, who knows, maybe we will adopt one of the designs. I am very proud of the School Resource Officer program. This is the first SRO for the McCall - Donnelly School District. It was challenging to obtain approval from the school district, but I felt it was extremely important. I also had to obtain funding for the new position which was accomplished with a federal grant. At the end of the grant term, the city agreed to pick up the costs for the position. Early and continual intervention with youth involved in minor crime with an SRO at school is essential to getting them on the right track to becoming good citizens. I have wanted to start a Police Scout Explorer POST for many years, and recently was successful in getting it done. We now have six Explorers. Again, I feel developing a positive relationship with the youth in the community is very valuable. The Explorers not only assist the department with many aspects of the operation, they also learn police skills, philosophy of the department and community service. I am certain some of them will pursue a career in law enforcement. Today's youth are tomorrow's leaders. The Bike Patrol was established to increase personal police /citizen contact. Officers on bikes are able to talk with more citizens than those in patrol cars. This is not a new concept, but is a positive step to improve community relations. This alternative patrol method is also more effective than motorized patrol, especially during those times when the town is overflowing with tourists. Winter 1997 I am continually looking for ways to get positively involved with the community. I encourage all the department employees to get involved with community projects. We do walk - a-thons, fingerprint and photograph kids for parents, donkey basketball for the high school and many other projects that get us involved with citizens. When citizens see the police as people, many potential problems are diminished or extinguished as a result. In conclusion, I am proud to be a police officer and very excited about being in a position to direct the McCall Police Department. I don't see my gender as a particular issue, and feel both men and women have much to contribute to law enforcement. Sometimes, on certain issues, my perspective might be a little different than someone else's, but various views are good and can only create depth in an organization. Generally, it's not about whether it's a man or woman, but rather the person's philosophy and how they treat people and provide service. Commemorative coin to benefit Memorial In December 1997 a half million commemorative coins recognizing the service and sacrifice ofAmerica's law enforcement officers will be issued by the Depart- ment of the Treasury. Sale of the coins will benefit the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) for long - term maintenance, repair and se- curity at the Memorial. The coin design will be unveiled in September and pre -issue orders will be taken at that time. The coin is expected to cost $37.00. Contact Lynn Lyons -Wynne at NLEOMF, 202- 737 -3400, for infor- mation and/or an order form. The Star-News 7/3/97 Star -News Photo by Jeanne Seol McCall police forms bike patrol Four members of the McCall Police Department become more visible using the program. Two mountain were recently trained for bicycle patrol duty on city bikes were donated by Alpine Sciences in McCall for the streets. The officers will patrol McCall as staffing program. Pictured from left are Sgt. Chris Moore, allows and during holidays such as the Fourth of Officer Mark Wright, Sgt. Mark Donica and Officer July coming up this weekend. The group hopes to Denise Denning. The Star-News 2/20/99 Parker: McCall chief's job an education in people BY JEANNE SEOL The Star-News No police chief leaves his first administrative job without learning a thing or two about how to listen, understand and compromise, McCall Po- lice Chief Ed Parker said. Parker, 52, will end his tenure as McCall's police chief on Friday, when he packs his bags to become chief of the Garden City Police Depart- ment. He will take with him better "people skills," he said. "For the most part, enforcing the law is easy because it's a black and white issue," Parker said. "But being chief has taught me to be a better mediator. I've learned to be a coach, a trainer and hopefully a mentor." The routine of a police chief includes prepar- ing and administering a budget, directing staff and planning, but Parker said the most important part of the fob is listening to the public and providing the services it needs. "It's always been my philosophy that we're here to attend to the public's needs regardless how little or large they are," he said. "We must be responsive to all people." Being police chief in a small city like McCall is a "personal" job that Parker said he will miss after he moves to Garden City - a community of about 10,000 people which employs 23 full -time police officers. But Parker said he is proud of the department he is leaving behind - a department he doubled in size since signing on as chief in 1986. Today, 10 full -time officers, a records clerk and senior administra- tive assistant make up a force where two police officers are almost al- ways on duty. He disagrees with critics who say the po- Ed Parker lice force is too big. "The Resigned last department has needed week as McCall to grow to keep up with Police Chief a growing community and its growing demands," he said. A greater influx of traffic, narcotics and juve- nile crime keeps officers busy and increases the threat to officer safety, he said. "Two officers on duty at onetime means an officer has a backup officer to make arrests and to respond to emergency calls like domestic vio- lence and traffic accidents," Parker said. In addition to increasing the number of offic- ers on the streets, Parker is proud of adding "high- quality" police officers who are 9 "professionals and better - educated." The department's response time to police calls has also improved with more officers on staff, he said. Parker is proud of the "community policing" philosophy he has incorpo- rated, a program where police and the public work together to solve prob- lems. Neighborhood watches, a "zero tolerance" drug policy and more foot patrols on holiday weekends have im- proved the quality of law enforce- ment and public relations, he said. In addition, implementing a drug task force has resulted in two of the largest drug -abuse arrest round -ups in Valley County history, Parker said. Also, better cooperation with new Valley County Sheriff Tommy Rhea has led to a more efficient department because city officers can now con- duct investigations outside city lim- its. While serving as chief in McCall, Parker said he has appreciated the support of the community and espe- cially his wife, Pam. "Without it, I could not have survived," he said. Though he wi6 make about $10,000 more a year -in his new posi- tion, Parker said the move will also bring "bigger headaches." Police department city's second largest As McCall police chief, Carla Donica will oversee a department that includes 10 full -time police officers, a drug dog, a code enforcement officer, a records clerk and a senior administrative assistant. The McCall Police Department follows the public works department as the second largest city department in both employee numbers and budget figures, with a $665,540 total budget. By spring, public access to the depart- ment will be improved by a new direct, public entrance on the west side of McCall City Hall, Donica said. A full -time police clerk will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Fri- day to answer questions and direct public concerns to appropriate officers. The entrance will be more convenient for walk -in reports, complaints and for the pub- lic to have a chance to directly speak to an officer, Donica said. The entrance is one more way for the department to become more "public friendly," she said. "It's a good financial move, but also a career advancement," Parker said. "People have said that law en- forcement is a thankless job, but I have found that it's very gratifying and has benefited me in my personal life. This is not just a job, it's a call- ing. McCall City Council members said Parker will be missod, but that the appointment of Carla Donica to re- place him speaks highly of the depart- ment. "He's done areal good job as chief and we'll miss him, but he set up a pretty competent force that will be able to replace him," council member Lance Eckhardt said. Council member Marilyn Arp said she always appreciated Parker's re- sponsiveness to council requests and to citizens. She also said his willing- ness to train people in his department with the skills to succeed him as chief "speaks highly of him." Parker said he is pleased with the city council's decision to appoint Donica as chief. "She (Donica) is about to face one of the biggest challenges of her ca- reer, but she has been preparing her- self over the years by furthering her education and by broadening her ex- perience," he said. "Just as I did 10 years ago, Carla now enters a new world of law en- forcement. I wish her well," Parker said. Statesman 6/28/2001 McCall police dogfights cancer, recovers from surgery BY BEN SALMON The Star -News Brandy, the McCall Police Department's drug detection dog, is expected to be back at work next month after having surgery for cancer. Brandy underwent successful surgery May 31 to remove a large tumor in her chest. The five -year- old Chesapeake Lab is expected to make a'full recovery, said Dr. Tony Cambridge, who performed the surgery at Washington State Uni= versity Veterinary Hospital in Pullman, Wash. The tumor was displacing Brandy's right lung and heart, and doctors removed the tumor and three of the dog's ribs. The tumor was discovered by her partner, Officer Chris Hazel, during a train- ing exercise. Brandy came to the department in 1996, and has been working with Hazel since December 1999. She was adoptedfrom apound in Boise, and is trained to recognize the scents of marijuana, methamphet- alnines, heroin and cocaine during searches. In addition to her police duties, Brandy does demonstrations for the Just Say No program at area elementary schools. Hazel said Brandy loves to play with the kids in the program- " She runs through the class- roos, wagging her tail. She is just a great dog," Hazel said. "She is a little territorial about her food and her toenails, but other than that she is a real sweetheart." McCall Police Chief Steve Wolf said he was pleased that Brandy would be able to continue working for the police department. "She's worked for the city of McCall for a long time, and she has done a greatjob," Wolf said. "Hope- fully, because of the surgery, she'll be able to work for the department for years to come." Wolf said he has not received Brandy the bill for Brandy's surgery, and he was unsure how the department would pay for the procedure. He said that a collection to cover the surgery was being discussed by some local organizations. The Star-News 3/6/08 Ways to build affordable housing still needed despite court ruling BY MICHAEL DAVID The lawsuit filed by the Mountain Central Board of Realtors challenging the city of McCall's affordable housing ordinances has created much discus- sion regarding the issue of community housing. Housing has been labeled as a singular problem for the region - an inaccurate label considering its severity and depth. Many incorrectly assume that the McCall ordinances are the only methods used to create affordable homes in Valley and Adams Counties. The recent ruling merely temporarily eliminates one tool the city of McCall can use to combat the issue of affordable housing. It remains to be determined whether inclusionary zoning, a method used suc- cessfully to create tens of thousands of affordable homes across the country since the early 1970s, will continue to be available as a tool in Idaho. Despite the ruling, the demand for housing remains and a multi - pronged approach is needed to create morehousingopportunities. We cannot allow recent events to interrupt the growing efforts to provide housing opportunities for the citizens of this region. A 2005 Needs Assessment determined a shortage of close to 300 homes in Valley and Adams Counties. The households in need of safe, quality housing have incomes ranging from very low (under $25,000 annually) to moderate (up to $85,000). The housing issue is comprised of a series of social, economic, and political problems that need to be solved in con- sort and cooperation. Concerns about density, water quality, preservation of agricultural lands and open space, and provisions of services collide with our ing and homebuyer education to better prepare individuals for the eventual purchase of a home. We must develop local land regula- tions to incentivize'the production of affordable homes. We must continue to pressure the state legislature to enact enabling legislation to provide resources for the production of homes. No one en- tity can solve this problem alone, we must work together as a community to create healthy, mixed- income communities. I have read statements from some Realtors that the softening of the real estate market has provided the needed "affordable housing." The claims state there are 35 to 40 homes available for purchase under $210,000. While this has opened up the market to a few households with incomes over $65,000 and excep- tional credit ratings, it fails to address over half of the households in the region � /4Ja4 S�ktw desire to preserve a diverse population and a viable economy. While private publicpartnerships resulting in deed -re- stricted units have successfully created 11 affordable homes in McCall, innova- tive methods must constantly be created to combat the ever - increasing need for affordable housing. VARHA, Valley County and the City of McCall have partnered in an effort to develop approximately 100 affordable rental units within the city limits of McCall. We must continue to form these types of partnerships to create housing. We must continue work with the cities, the school districts, and other employ- ers on methods for creating employer assisted housing. We must examine methods to finan- cially assist individuals attempting to purchase market -rate homes. We must continue to provide financial counsel- with incomes below $50,000. The free market has failed to provide attainable homes for teachers, police, firefighters, retail employees, sewer and water personnel, service employees, hospital staff, public transportation drivers, small business owners and many more. These individuals comprise the workforce necessary to make a community economically and socially viable. Community housing in the region is a hugely complex and multifaceted issue. Please do not rely on statements from uninformed or biased individuals. We welcome input andparticipation and urge the community to be involved in the process. Please contact VARHA for more information. (Michael David is executive direc- tor of the Valley Adams Regional Housing Authority.) The Star-News 3/6/08 McCall puts off bankruptcy; hearing postponed BY MICHAEL WELLS The Star -News The city of McCall averted municipal bankruptcy Wednesday morning when the McCall City Council decided to accept an extension on a contempt of court motion from attorneys for Employers Insurance of Wausau and St. Clair Contractors Inc. The contempt of court hearing had been scheduled for today in Boise before U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill, but that hearing was postponed. The postponement follows the city's acceptance of an offer by Wausau and St. Clair to delay the contempt hearing until May 15. By that time, the city hopes to have issued $6 million in sewer revenue bonds to pay off the balance due over mismanagement of the construction of the city's wastewater stor- age pond, known as the J -Ditch pond. On Friday, Fourth District Judge Thomas Neville gave the city authority to issue the bonds. The ruling came two days hearing date to be set at that time. Neville's rulingthat the city's request for revenue bonds was an ordinary and neces- sary expenditure of the city issued Friday is now subject to an appeal period. After the appeal period ends April 11, the city will be able to proceed with the bonding process. The city's sewer ratepayers would repay the revenue bonds over30 years. Sewer rates could increase by more than $11 per month over that time. The city lost a lawsuit to Wausau and St. Clair in 2004 when a jury ordered the city to pay the two companies $4.95 million. Interest and attorneys' fees accrued to about $7 million. In April 2007, Winmill ordered the city to take immediate action to pay the judg- ment against it. The city paid $302,OOOfrom surplus funds in June. In November, the city used a tax revenue anticipation note to pay an addi- tional $660,000 toward the judgment. after Neville heard the city's request for the authority to issue the bonds without a public vote. On Monday, the council told Wausau attorney Ron Blewett of Lewiston that the city would file for bankruptcy rather than risk an unfavorable ruling by Winmill at today's scheduled hearing. The resolution said the city would com- ply with Winmill's previous judgments to pay Wausau and St. Clair. The companies responded on Tuesday with an offer to delay the contempt of court motion until May 15. "That is more time than the city said it would take to pay us," Blewett said on Tues- day. "The city provided a written schedule to Wausau. The city's schedule said that if Judge Neville's findings and conclusions were completed by March 3 that they could pay us by May, 1." If the city does not pay the judgment by May 15, then Wausau and St. Clair will ask Winmill for another contempt of court The Star-News 3/13/08 VALENTINE DANCE BENE- FITS MIC - A check for $8,676.02 was presented to the McCall Improvement Committee by the organizers of a Valentine's Dance held Feb. 16. From left are MIC treasurer Steve Forrey, MIC co -chair Judy Maguire and dance organizers Terry Avitable, Cathy Jasperson and Bonnie Bertram. About 80 people attended the event. The MIC will put the money toward its community projects, including flowers and other plantings for a proposed bathroom at Art Roberts park, shielding wires that provide power to the Christmas tree lights at Art Roberts Park, and creating a "pocket park" at the corner of Park and Third streets. Photo courtesy McCall Improvement Committee The Star-News 11/4/10 Woman says McCall officer revealed her as drug informant Tracy VanDuren, daughter, father seek $7 million in damages against city BY MICHAEL WELLS The Star -News A McCall woman and her family has filed a claim for up to $7 million against the city of McCall saying a former McCall Police Department officer revealed her as a confidential informant to drug dealers. Tracy VanDuren, her daugh- ter, Chloe VanDuren, and Robert Lyons, who is Tracy's father, said they have received death threats as a result of her informant role being revealed. The claim says former McCall Det. Sgt. Eric Fieldstad revealed A Tracy VanDuren as an informant_ in 2008 to a drug ring known only as the "Mexican Mafia." Fiedstad resigned from the po- lice department on Friday, McCall Police Chief Jerry Summers said Monday. He began working for the Eric Fieldstad department in May 2004. (File Photo) Summers would not comment on the reason for the resignation. "Tracy "Resignations by police officers are personnel matters and conse VanDuren quently the city does not comment was afraid on resignations," he said. "The city takes all such allega- for her tions seriously and has requested an outside law enforcement agency life (an-" to investigate these allegations," Ul Summers said, notingan investiga- feared that tion is underway. Chloe The city has turned the claim . overto its insurance company, said City ManagerLindley Kirkpatrick, would he who declined further comment. If the city refuses to pay the claim, killed."' that opens the way under state law for a lawsuit to be filed. — Excerpt Two Drug Buys Made from claim Tracy VanDuren made two drug buys of illegal drugs at the request of the police, the claim said. One of the drug buys was a cocaine buy from what is called "The Mexican Mafia" in the claim at the request of Fieldstad in April 2008. See SUIT, Page A -2 A� Suit: Woman says McCall officer revealed her as drug informant (Continued,from Page A -Z) "Officer Fieldstad believed that Tracy VanDuren, imper- missibly, made two small sales of illegal drugs while she was working as his (confidential informant)," the claim said. "Officer Fieldstad then revealed to the Mexican Mafia that Tracy VanDurenhadbeen working as his (confidential informant), and he terminat- ed her role as a (confidential informant)." Numerous death threats followed between April and December 2008 in telephone calls from Mexico, the claim said. At the time, VanDuren did not know who revealed she was working as an informant for the police. "Tracy VanDuren was afraid for her life," the claim said. "Tracy VanDuren feared that . Chloe would be killed." Lyons took over Chloe's care for several months and was forced to carry a gun "to protect himself and his fam- ily," the claim said. The claimants onlylearned recently that Fieldstad had disclosed VanDuren's infor- mant status, the claim said That happened when their attorney, Michael Ray Robin- son of McCall, was working on an unrelated criminal case. A transcript of what is calledarecordingof Fieldstad and an unidentified officer made earlier this year was included in the claim. "See, (Tracy VanDuren) was a Cl (confidential infor- mant) of mine at one time, and she went bad, so I brought a whole hell of a lot of stuff down on top of her head, in- cluding burning her to `The Mexican Mafia' that we were buying from," the transcript quoted Fieldstad as saying. "And she got all kinds of death threats from `em and everything else," Fieldstad is quoted in the transcript. "Yeah, you don't burn Eric, you don't turn CI, then burn Eric." ' The claim seeks $4 mil- lion in damages for Tracy VanDuren, $2 million for Ly- ons and $1 million for Chloe VanDuren. State law says claims against public agencies can- not be made on actions that happened more than two years before the claim is filed. In an interview, Robinson noted the law allows a claim after two years if evidence of the action is not discovered until later. The statute runs at the time of discovery," Robinson said noting he made the dis- covery "a couple of weeks" before filing the claim. Star -News Features Page Second -Home Horror McCall police offer tips on how to prevent burglaries of vacation homes "They may not have neighbors; no one sees an open door or broken window. " —Sgt. Larry Stokes BY KENDFL MURRANT for The Star -News Window shades pulled down. Driveways not plowed in winter. Lights are out. These might as well be neon signs for burglars saying, "No one is home." The McCall Police Department wants owners of vacation homes to know how to protect themselves from break -ins between visits. The holidays are over, and commitments like jobs and school keep vacationers away from their second homes, sometimes for months, Det. Sgt. Larry Stokes said. When a break -in occurs in a second home, the burglar usually is never caught. Of the 69 McCall residential burglaries reported since 2007, there have only been 13 arrests. "(Vacationers) leave in January and don't come back until May," Stokes said. "They may not have neighbors, no one sees an open door or broken window." Seasonal as well as full -time residents can take simple proactive steps to keep their homes safe, said Officer Ned Crossly, who has helped implement local Neighborhood Watch programs. bRU1- Plll -m- camff,' as put of a lwme — vart.' s� s1em "Crime prevention though environmental design, door locks - it all comes into play," Crossly said. "As neighborhoods get cleaned up, it discourages a criminal element" The biggest ally is to know your neighbors, he said. Neighborhood Watch programs help people learn each others' names, recognize what activity is normal in their neighborhood, and create a way to quickly alert each other of suspicious activity. Neighbors Get Credit One owner of a vacation home in McCall, who had two break -ins in 2008, credits his neighbors with early detection of the crimes, helping police identify the suspects and return his stolen belongings. "My neighbor was outside walking his dog and he spotted an older pickup parked in my side driveway (that shouldn't have been there)," said the homeowner, who asked not to be named because he still lives out of town and doesn't want his home to be targeted. "There was a teenage boy standing by it. (My neighbor) walked up to him and asked how he was doing," the homeowner said. "The kid said something like, 'We're doing some things that are really dumb-'" The neighbor called police, giving them the license number of the truck. Police found the teenager and two other minors and short time later and recovered items taken from the house: an inflatable raft, video games, DVDs, and a few bottles of alcohol. The homeowner said he had lived as a seasonal resident in the area for 19 years and had gotten to know his neighbors during that time. Even though he has since installed a security system, he still relies on his neighbors to watch over his home when he is gone. "I went around to every one of them after (the break ins), and made sure I had every one of their numbers, knew what our cars were, where we park," he said. "That's the most effective way to stop it." Homeowners who take part in Neighborhood Watch groups are willing to share personal information if that is what is needed to keep their neighborhoods protected, Crossly said. "Those who take an interest are those who care," he said- http://www.mccallstamews.com/pages/hcw—feature_page.php Page 1 of 1 2/16/2012 Star -News Features Page Page 1 of 1 Go high -tech to protect rustic cabin in the woods BY KENDEL NIURRANT for The Star -Necc; A home security system is the best way for second -home owners to protect their possession when they are out of town, according to two security equipment providers. About 95 percent of the 500 clients of May Security are second -home owners, said Tanya Masterson, who has owned May Security with her husband Jay for three years. These home typically have a third -party monitoring system where a call center alerts not just the homeowner, but also police and fire departments if an alarm is triggered. "I don't know of any other way to ensure your home's protection unless you have someone else live there when you're gone," Masterson said. "I think second home owners are very aware that having something helps," she said. "They used to think, 'Small town, nothing's going to happen,' but that's not the case anymore." Security systems give homeowners piece of mind, said Ben Grant, owner of Intelligent Home Inc. In the last six weeks, Grant has installed four security systems that can be controlled remotely from smart phones. He offers a call- center monitoring service, but some clients who want to save a monthly fee prefer a home system that sends information directly to them. Photos and video footage is sent directly to cell phones and computers when a sensor is tripped. The technology not only helps discourage a break -in, but can capture valuable information about a suspect if a burglary does happen, Grant said. "Locks only keep honest people honest," he said. "If someone wants to break in, they will." Monitoring systems not only scare away potential criminals, but help detect weather - related problems such as freezing pipes in the wintertime, Grant and Masterson said. Costs of a security system range from about $500 to about $3,500 for systems with home automation features such as remote heat control. http:// www .mccallstarnews.com /pages/hcw_ feature page.php 2/16/2012 Star -News Features Page Page 1 of 1 Simple ways to deter burglars Here are some tips fro the McCall Police Department to prevent burglaries: Get to know neighbors. • Keep windows and doors locked, even when not at home. • Keep landscaping groomed to prevent obstructed views of the home. In the winter, keep driveway and paths clear of snow. Install motion - sensor lights. Turn on interior lights to give the illusion the house is occupied. • Install a home security system. If leaving town, stop mail delivery. Back http:// www .mccallstarnews.com/pages/hew_ feature page.php 2/16/2012 This week's front page stories Page 1 of 1 Valley sheriff made 30 percent more arrests in 2011 McCall Police report 26 percent increase in traffic stops BY KENDEL MURRANT and DAN GALLAGHER for The Star -News Arrests made by the Valley County Sheriffs Office rose 30 percent in 2011, according to statistics released by Valley County Dispatch. There were 336 arrests last year compared with 280 arrests made in 2010. "We definitely saw an increase in drug crimes and theft crimes are still up," said Lt. Dan Smith, spokesperson for the sheriff's office. Total traffic stops made by sheriffs deputies eased off from 3,163 to 3,025, but slightly more citations were issued, from 1,053 to 1,076. "This past year we were making more stops on Highway 55 due to considerably higher speeds being driven on the new pavement between Cascade and Donnelly," Smith said. The sheriff's office also took part in more traffic - safety programs funded by the Idaho Transportation Department, specifically for seat -belt use, driving while drunk and reckless driving, Smith said. "We had zero tolerance on those," he said. MCCALL POLICE The McCall Police Department had a 26 percent increase in traffic stops in 2011. City officers issued one ticket for every 5.112 stops. The increase in traffic stops reflects the fact that the department is fully staffed for the first time in almost nine years, said Sgt. Pete Rittenger, spokesperson for the department. The number of police calls and arrests made by McCall police last year were nearly the same as in 2010, the figures show. The department responded to 1,854 calls in 2011 compared with 1,659 calls the previous year. A total of 310 arrests were made in the city in 2011 compared to 319 arrests in 2010. The lack of change between the two years is due to a continuing slow economy and no change in the city's population, Rittenger said. "We didn't see a great influx of people or a great reduction in people coming to town from 2010 to 2011," he said. The number of drug offense arrests has gone up by about 33 percent from 2010, from 72 to 108. The department has expanded its investigations division and now has three detectives that work with informants and follow tips, leading to a higher number of cases, Rittenger said. New patrol officers on the force are also proactive about drug detection during traffic stops, he said. The number of DUI arrests went down by 35 percent in 2011 over 2010 and is the lowest number since 2006. There were 34 DUI arrests made in 2011 compared to 52 in 2010. The lower number reflects a downward trend on a state and national level of drunk driver arrests, Rittenger said. The McCall Police Department also has several new officers on the force and "good DUI detection takes time," he added. CASCADE POLICE The Cascade Police Department made 37 percent more arrests in 2011 over 2010, or from 48 to 66. "We've definitely had more thefts and burglaries, and definitely more drug crimes," Cascade Police Chief Ryan Redman said. Traffic stops were down 21 percent in Cascade, from 1,214 to 957, and citations also fell from 283 to 227. The department's staffing has dropped from four officers to three, so there have been fewer patrolmen to issue tickets, Redmond said- http://www.mccallstarnews.com/pages/fp_stories_page.php 3/1/2012 as Star -News News Page_Announcements Page 1 of 1 McCall police officers complete training courses Members of the McCall Police Department have completed a variety of training and classes since Jan. 1. Here is a summary of each: Officer Jared Ashcraft: Search, Seizure and Interrogation. Class covered search and seizure issues common to law enforcement. Senior Administrative Assistant Lorraine Brush: DNA Evidence Identification, Collection Preservation. This two -day course is intended for law enforcement officers involved in the identification, collection, and preservation of DNA evidence. Sergeant Brian Holbrook, Officer Chris Matkin, Senior Administrative Assistant Brooke Osborn, Officer Dallas Palmer, Support Services Supervisor Sandy Ryska: NIBRS Reporting. The National Incident Based Reporting System is an incident -based reporting system for crimes known to the police. Senior Administrative Assistant Brooke Osborn: Laserfiche Institute Empower 2012 Conference. Class covers the enhanced features and functionality of Laserfiche Workflow B.3, including its new activities, expanded administration console, new reporting capabilities, and digital signatures. Officer Dallas Palmer: Field Training Officer Training. This program is designed to prepare newly selected FTOs for their respective roles. Additionally, the course also incorporates the various components of program development and operation. Officer Jason Pannell: Taser Instructor re- certification http: / /www.mccallstarnews.com /pages /announcements _page.php 3/8/2012 The Star News Groups Page Page ] of l McCall police take part in crackdown on DUI The McCall Police Department is joining other police agencies in Idaho to make highways safer by funding education campaigns and high - visibility impaired driving enforcement patrols. The effort is part of Idaho's Toward Zero Deaths' goal to someday have no traffic deaths on Idaho's roads. In 2010, impaired driving contributed to 1,593 crashes on Idaho's highways and caused 96 fatalities. "Whether you've had one or two drinks, or way too many, it's not worth the risk to you or your family;" Sgt. Pete Rittenger said. "Not only do you risk injuring or killing yourself or someone else, but the financial costs of an arrest or crash are significant." http: / /www.mccallstamews.com /pages /groups _page.php 3/15/2012 The Star News Groups Page Page 1 of 1 McCall polir k e nine DUI arrests during crackdown The McCall Police Department made nine arrests for drunken driving during a week of high - visibility impaired driving enforcement patrols that ended on Sunday. In addition to the DUI arrests, McCall police made 84 traffic stops, wrote 10 citations and make one arrest for possession of illegal drugs. During the same weekend last year, one DUI arrest was made, 67 traffic stops were conducted, five citations issued and two arrests made for illegal drug possession, Sgt. Pete Rittenger said. "This illustrates that a certain segment of the motoring public are making poor choices to drive while intoxicated," Rittenger said. "The Idaho Transportation Department's Impaired Driving grant allowed us to put more officers on patrol during the grant period looking specifically for impaired drivers; he said. The effort is part of Idaho's Toward Zero Deaths' goal to someday have no traffic deaths on Idaho's roads. In 2010, impaired driving contributed to 1,593 crashes on Idaho's highways and caused 96 fatalilies- http: / /www.mccallstamews.com/pages /groups _page.php 3/22/2012 This week's front page stories Page 1 of 1 McCall pays $125,000 settlement over drug- infomant case Woman, family said police officer revealed her identify to drug dealers BY TOM GROTE The Star -News A McCall woman and her family have been paid $125,000 by the city of McCall for a claim that a former McCall Police Department officer revealed her as a confidential informant to drug dealers. The payment was made by the city's insurance provider to Tracy VanDuren, her daughter and Robert Lyons, who is Tracy's father. In their claim filed in October 2010 the three said they had received death threats as a result of VanDuren's informant role being revealed. The claim says former McCall Det. Sgt. Eric Fieldstad revealed VanDuren as an informant in 2008 to a drug ring known only as the "Mexican Mafia." Fieldstad resigned from the police department in November 2010, a month after the claim was filed. The original claim sought $7 million for VanDuren, her daughter and Lyons. The amount of the payment was obtained by The Star -News through a publio-records request McCall City Manager Lindley Kirkpatrick declined on Monday to comment on the settlement. A request to Lyons for a comment was not answered. Lyons unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the McCall City Council last November. The 2010 claim said VanDuren made two drug buys of illegal drugs at the request of the police. One of the drug buys was a cocaine purchase from what is called the "Mexican Mafia" at the request of Fieldstad in April 2008. "Officer Fieldstad believed that Tracy VanDuren, impermissibly, made two small sales of illegal drugs while she was working as his (confidential informant),' the claim said. "Officer Fieldstad then revealed to the Mexican Mafia that Tracy VanDuren had been working as his (confidential informant), and he terminated her role as a (confidential informant)." Numerous death threats followed between April and December 2008 in telephone calls from Mexico, the claim said. At the tine, VanDuren did not know who revealed she was working as an informant for the police. "Tracy VanDuren was afraid for her I'tfe; the claim said. "Tracy VanDuren feared that ... (her daughter) would be killed." Lyons took over the daughter's care for several months and was forced to carry a gun 'to protect himself and his family," the claim said. The claimants learned that Fieldstad had disclosed VanDuren's informant status when their attorney was working on an unrelated criminal case. A transcript of what is called a recording of Fieldstad and an unidentified officer was included in the claim. "See, (Tracy VanDuren) was a (confidential informant) of mine at one time, and she went bad, so I brought a whole hell of a lot of stuff dawn on top of her head, inckiding burning her to the 'Mexican Mafia' that we were buying from,' the transcript quoted Fieldstad as saying. "And she got all kinds of death threats from 'am and everything else," Fieldstad is quoted in the transcript. "Yeah, you don't bum Eric." http:// www. mccallstamews .com/pages /fp_stories _page.php 3/29/2012 The Star News Groups Page Page 1 of 1 McCall Police to crack down on aggressive drivinq ^�V The McCall Police Department is joining law enforcement agencies statewide to crack down on aggressive driving. The added enforcement will be in effect through April 30, and officers will focus on aggressive driving, specifically speeding, Sgt. Pete Rittenger said. In 2010, aggressive driving was a contributing factor in 52 percent of all crashes in Idaho, according to the Idaho Transportation Department's Office of Highway Safety. Speeding was the leading contributing factor for crashes that resulted in fatalities or serious injuries, the state figures show. http: / /www.mccallstamews.com/pages /groups _page.php 4/19/2012 Groups Page Page 1 of 1 McCall police to enforce Click It or Ticket The McCall Police Department will join local and national law enforcement officers and highway safety advocates across the country for the 2012 national 'Click It or Ticket' seat belt enforcement May 22 through June 5. Officers will be cracking down on motorists who fail to wear their seat belts, both day and night, as well as child safety seat violations. In 2010, 22,555 passenger vehicle crashes statewide resulted in 209 death and 1,396 serious injuries, a news release said. "High - visibility enforcement such as the Click It or Ticket mobilization is credited with increasing the national belt usage rate from 58 percent in 1994 to an observed usage rate of 85 percent in 2010,' Sgt Pete Rittenger said. 'Belt use saves thousands of lives each year across America," Rittenger said. 'In 2009 alone, seat belts saved 12,713 lives nationwide.' http : / /www.mccallstarnews.com/pages /groups _page.php 5/17/2012 ' ont page stories Page 1 of 1 More detectives on force boosts crime - solving rate f,, ill PD BY KENDEL WTMANf for The Star -New Sgt. Larry Stokes remembered when his detective division at the McCall Police Department was a one -man operation. "I had a case a while back that took three months to get all the documentation together and to complete the interviews," Stokes said. 'Today, that kind of investigation only takes three weeks' That's because in the last year, the McCall Police Department has increased the number of officers in As detectives division. Three full-time officers now investigate crimes, and the detectives say they're solving more cases more quickly and efficiently. Det. Andrew Fisher said the detectives division has benefitted greatly by having more officers. 'When it was only one person, he was overworked, there were too many cases on his plate,' said Fisher, who has worked as a McCall police officer since 2008 and has been a detective since November 2011. "The end result is that crimes were not being solved." Det.Brian Koch said more officers allows them to take more investigations off the shoulders of patrol officers, who used to do a lot of leg work on top of their patrol obligations. Koch also said having three officers free to handle just investigations means cases have a quicker turn around time. "Something that would take three or four weeks to solve, now it can take just three or four days. We have time to interview people, follow leads, and get it wrapped up; said Koch, who has been in law enforcement for nine years and has worked for the Valley County Sheriffs Office and McCall Police Department. Stokes, who has been with the department since 2005, is the supervising officer for the detective division and does administrative work as well as actively handles cases. With more detectives, it gives officers time to strike while the iron is hot, Stokes said. "Memories grow weaker with time. It's easier to get everyone interviewed right away," he said. Devoting more staff to investigations has been on the radar of McCall Police Chief Jerry Summers for several years. "Since 2005, I've said we need four in investigations: a supervisor, and somebody each to work cases against persons, property, and narcotics," Summers said. "Before, you had to pull people out of patrol to work with the detective, and now you have three guys who all work together without having to pull from patrol," he said. Detective work requires specific, additional training in everything from domestic abuse to unattended deaths. The result is "people that can delve into a case deeper and solve d faster,' Summers said. It's difficult to correlate number of detectives to crime deterrent or to cases solved since so many other factors are at play with each investigation, Summers said. However, he believes there is a change for the better with more detectives. The number of cases the department solved and cleared was up by 5 percent in 2011 over 2010, which he said can be attributed to the additional detectives. "The main thing is that we have more efficient investigations, more people who are able to do more work on cases," Summers said. It's a boon for the detectives to be able to pool resources and help from each other. 'We'll all discus each others' cases, and that's great," Koch said. "You get 35 years of experience between the three of us." http:// www. mccallstamews .com/pages /fp_stories�age.php 5/24/2012 s week's front page stories Page 1 of 1 looks at 3% property -tax hike Council split whether to raise taxes even more "We have to think about what we really need and how dire the situation is. " —Nic Swanson 'Yt 's not an election year. We can fund the stuff that we think is really important with this increase." —Don Bailey BY RENDEL MURRANT far The Star -News McCall City Council members unanimously expressed their favor in implementing a 3 percent property tax increase to help meet the demands of the city's 2013 budget. However, the council was split as to whether they also wanted to claim an additional 6 percent in higher property taxes allowed under state law. The council has not raised McCall property taxes in the last two years. According to state law, when the 3 percent maximum property tax increase is not used, d can be set aside and claimed in the future. There are no time frame restrictions on when the set -aside can be claimed. Since McCall has not increased property taxes in the last two years, there is currently a 6 percent setside the council can use. The final city budget, and official decision on whether to take the annual tax increase or any part of the set -aside money, will not be approved until August The budget takes effect Oct. 1. According to estimates from city staff, a 3 percent increase could bring an additional $131,000 to the estimated $4.47 million in property tax revenues for 2013. The set -aside amount would bring in $258,000, according to city staff estimates. A Difficult Decision Council members agreed it was not an easy decision to increase property taxes in a time of economic hardship, but that the city is also in need of increased revenues to provide services, especially for sewer and streets. Items flagged for funding with the 3 percent increase included $51,000 for new police patrol cars, $62,454 for chip sealing city streets, and $15,000 to buy land for airport expansion. Items that could receive funding with the additional 6 percent are $75,000 toward repairing and replacing city offices, $12,192 for a records- management program, $32,922 for chip sealing streets, $10,000 for the undeveloped Riverfront Park, $40,000 for downtown pathway improvements, and $30,000 for the McCall Golf Course. City council members disagreed about whether or not the items that could be funded are important enough to put the additional burden on taxpayers. "If we wanted it then, we should have taken it then,' council member Nic Swanson said of the 6 percent. "I think there's a demonstrable need for the 3 percent increase this year, but we have to think about what we realty need and how dire the situation is." Mayor Don Bailey disagreed. "It's not an election year," Bailey said. "We can fund the stuff that we think is really important with this increase, and we can't fund that stuff without it. It's simple.' Higher Costs Cited Council member Jackie Aymon pushed for taking the full 9 percent tax increase, saying that she has consistently voted for raising property taxes each year, but was out- voted. "Things don't get better as time goes by, they get more expensive," Aymon said. Council members Marcia Write and Laura Scott both said they would support the 3 percent property tax increase this year, but did not want to take the additional 6 percent. "I am pretty firm about this," Scott said. "1 think unemployment is still high, and I'd like to do as little as possible to potentially slow the recovery here." 'Just because we don't take the (6 percent) doesn't mean some of these projects can't be funded,* Witte said "We can look elsewhere." http: / /www.mccallstamews .com/pages /fp_stories _page.php 6/7/2012 week's front page stories Page 1 of 1 Seir.J, hPnin� for nr ., McCall city man ag= 7 McCall's search for a new city manager is officially underway. After several meetings in the last week, the McCall City Council agreed on a job description and criteria. The job posting is on the city's Web site, www.mccall.id.us. The job description says the city manager's main task is to "implement the vision, policies and goals' of the council and "to provide leadership and guidance to city staff." The description also lists the city manager's job as ensuring financial security of public funds, monitoring the city's fiscal activity and supervising all department heads. The ideal candidate's credentials include a master's degree in public or business administration and 10 years experience. The city manager must take residence in the city within 12 months. The salary is listed as depending on experience, and the position will be open until filled. The first review of applicants will begin June 25, and phone or video interviews will start in mid -July, according to the recruitment brochure. Personal interviews will be conducted in McCall in mid - August with the new manager expected to be at work by Oct. 1. Current city manager Lindley Kirkpatrick has resigned effective Aug. 3 after eight years of waking as city manager and 13 years with the city. Kirkpatrick and his wife are moving to Scotland, where his wife, Amanda, will be attending the University of Endinburgh. His current salary is $97,723. h4:// www. mccallstamews .com/pages /fp_stories _page.php 6/7/2012 -News News Page—Lead Story Valley tells McCall to fire Williams as city prosecutor Commissioners said state law broken by not seeking permission BY KENDEL MURKANT for The Star -News Valley County commissioners have threatened to take the city of McCall to court if the city continues to contract with Valley County Prosecuting Attorney Matt WIliams. Commissioners wrote to the council last month saying they were withdrawing their "approvar of Williams' contract with McCall because he was never formally given permission by commissioners for that contract, a violation of state law. "We suspect that there has been a rather loose arrangement between Mr. Williams and prior commissioners in the past on this subject," the letter said. "What we are unclear about is whether or not this is the best arrangement for county taxpayers," the letter said. 'We have no confidence that the county is well served by the possible utilization of county resources to service city contracts.' The city has used Williams' private law firm in Cascade to prosecute misdemeanors and other minor offenses since 2007. Williams said this week the contract is through his private practice, 'not me personally, and certainly not me in my official capacity as the Valley County Prosecuting Attorney.' 'This latest letter is the commissioners' most recent attempt to interfere with private oontracts' he said. Williams said he will 'vigorously defend any action taken by the commissioners to interfere with the privately held contracts.' No Decision Revealed The McCall City Council discussed the commissioners' letter last Thursday in a closed session authorized by the state's opening meeting law when there are "controversies not yet being litigated but imminently likely to be litigated.' After caning out of the closed session, council members instructed City Attorney Bill Nichols to write a response. Council members did not say publicly what the response would be. The response letter by Nichols had rat been made public by Wednesday. In January, the McCall council unanimously approved a contract renewal with Williams Law, P.L.L.C. The new contract, which pays Williams Law $48,000 for the year, expires at the end of the year. The exchange is the latest war of words between Williams and the commissioners. Last week, Williams filed a lawsuit against commissioners, claiming they illegally fired last November as their counsel on county matters. The lawsuit asks for $120,000 to be paid from county funds into the prosecutor's budget. The commissioners claimed the termination was legal and justifiable. Page 1 of I http:// www .mccallstamews.com/pages/lead page.php 7/5/2012 week's front page stories McCall approves coordinated public arts program Policy set the foundation for funrre placement of works 'Yf we build a reputation as an arts community, we can create a reason for people to come up here year round -- Tracey Kindall BY KENDEL MURRANT for The SW44cws A group of more than a dozen enthusiastic art lovers applauded on Friday as the McCall City Council adopted a public arts program. The resolution outlines how multiple city departments and non -profit art groups in McCall can collectively process and prioritize public art projects. The step was necessary to bring more art to McCall, said Tracey Kindall, director of the McCall Arts and Humanities Council. The public might not see the immediate effects of passing the resolution, Kindall said. 'There hasn't been a strong foundation; she said. 'There hasn't been a process, no systematic way of accepting donations, no public review. We want the community to be involved and have a voice because ifs their town." Public art does more for a town than beautification, Kindall said. w by tom f me Eurom$'The Bw" X%'aU pd,]. art u ullmn -e m -Ait Rokests Puk in t, WA are the Rai - dukten hom %uuT. Teas. Raul, 4. P.uuel. :aid Bna„a. � 'We have people coming up here at certain points in the year, but if we build a reputation as an arts community, we can create a reason for people to come up here year round," she said. Previously, donations and commissioned art projects did riot have a formal vetting system in place. The resolution passed on Friday allows the city to be more careful about what they accept, to consider the cost of maintenance and upkeep, and to create a vision of what they ward public art to say about the town. 'The city's taking on the vision of public art so it doesn't happen in a haphazard way,' Kindall said. "Public art is the expression of McCall, and we want to be intentional about what that expression is." Several Pieces in Place The city already has several public art pieces, like 'The Bearing Wair bronze sculpture in Art Roberts Park and the way - finding cages ak) g several of McCaq's paved paths. But there has never been a formal archive of existing public art, a task that needs to be addressed. Kindall said. Karen Bubb, public arts manager for the Boise City Arts and History Department, presented the public arts resolution to the council. Bubb was brought on to lead the public arts initiative and wrote the resolution. She reviewed information gathered from three public arts workshops held in May and June that collected ideas and identified what kinds of public art people want to see and where. More than 40 people came to the three meetings and said they liked murals, as well as functional, interactive art. Some of the suggested locations, like Ponderosa State Park and the Hotel McCall plaza, are outside of the city's control, but Bubb said they could potentially create partnerships with businesses for public art projects later. Arts Commission Sought The resolution calls for the creation of a public arts commission, which would be responsible for much of the research and vetting process of donations and prioritizing new locations and pieces for the city's collection. The commission would ultimately, bring projects they've agreed on to the council for final approval. "We need to build on communication between the (city) deparUnents and have it be a team process. It's about building relationships to do things that could be complicated otherwise," Bubb said The original recommendation called for representatives from the city's Community Development and Parks and Recreation departments and from the McCall Arts and Humanities Counddto serve on the commission, but the council requested that k be open to a wider pool of people. The resolution also outlines the process for accepting donations and commissioning projects and recommends the city set aside money in its budget to help pay for public art projeds. Page 1 of 1 http:// www. mccallstamews .com/pages/fp_stories _page.php 7/5/2012 Star -News News Page—Lead Story 1,000 - person quota set for North Beach on July 4 Limit set by state parks for 'health and safety'reasons Fourth of July partiers will be turned away at North Beach on Payette Lake once the crowd hits 1,000 people, the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation said. The quota was set "to protect the natural resources on and around the beach and to ensure the hearth and safety of visitors," a news release from the state said. The 1,000 person quota is in effect year - round, but will be tested during the Independence Day holiday, which falls on a Wednesday, and weekends on either side of the holiday. North Beach, which is part of Ponderosa State Park, has been the scene of spontaneous gatherings of young revelers since 2007. For the first three years of the party, police and park personnel have had to clear the beach due to rowdy and drunken behavior. However, for the last two years the party was more well- behaved thanks to stepped up education efforts for the partiers on obeying laws on underage drinking and littering. The park also increased the services it provided to the party -goers by putting more garbage cans and recycle bins on the beach along with portable toilets. The crowd swelled to about 1,500 people at its height last year, and estimates of 2,000 people or more have been made during previous years. Ponderosa park Manager Richard Taplin will be in charge of determining when the 1,000- person quota will have been met. Page 1 of 1 http: / /www.mccallstamews .com/pages/lead _page.php 6/21/2012 This week's front page stories Page 1 of 1 Police gear up for long holiday week Officers hope restrictions, plenty ojmarrpower, wig deter trouble BY KENDEL MURRANT and DAN GALLAGHER for The Star -News Local and state police will be out in force for a Fourth of July celebration that will extend over two weekends this year. The Valley County Sheriffs Office will have 13 people deployed, Sheriffs Lt. Dan Smith said. The departments ,ti boats and marine deputies also will be on the waters of Payette Lake and Lake Cascade. r" "The Idaho State Police will have up to 14 troopers in rotating shifts," Smith said. Both the ISP and the sheriffs¢ office will have their mobile command posts in use. "We'll be there July 4-8 to assist the county as much as we Ss � can," Idaho State Police spokesman Bill Edwards said. sus . fi.w,m Pohc a are hoput¢ conuuuuuaeau mffi Noah The county command post will be located at least fora Bearhpune�s „Ila¢,wprereutIA.W . ova the Foruth of Juh hohdac time at North Beach on Payette Lake, where large numbers of partiers have gathered in years past. The North Beach party, a fixture since 2007, has been relatively trouble -free the last two years. To make sure that extends into this year, a 1,000- person limit has been set by the Idaho Department of Parks and Recration. Parking again will only be allowed on one side of Eastside Drive, Smith said. All vehicles must be parked facing south, on the west side of the road. Any car parked in the wrong direction will be towed away, as will any parked vehicles which block access for emergency crews. Cars parking on Warren Wagon Road must be off the pavement or the tow crews will haul them off. The sheriffs office will have a van standing by to take those arrested for booking at the county jail in Cascade. http:// www. mccalistamews .com/pages /fp_stories _page.php 6/28/2012 This week's front page stories MCCALL POLICE & FIRE McCall Fire and EMS will double its staff on Wednesday, July 4, as well as the weekends on either side of the holiday, Fire Chief Mark Bill mire said. Responders will be looking out for injuries releated to drinking, fighting and illegal fireworks - Billmire encouraged people to call if they see others lighting up illegal fireworks. In Idaho, fireworks are illegal if they explode or become airborne. The McCall Police Department will have all officers working during the holidays with assistance from ISP and the Valley County Sheriffs Office, Chief Jerry Summers said. Additional officers from the Cascade and Garden City police departments will be available in case of an emergency, Summers said. 'People drive while intoxicated or get into physical altercations," Summers said "We want people to come up here and have fun, but they need to behave responsibly.' Police will be focusing on The Rustic Inn, formerly The Woodsman Motel, where trouble has occurred in past years. Last year, a 19- year -old man from Eagle tried to push two McCall police officers off the second -story balcony at the motel. A third officer, who suffered injuries to his shoulder, elbow, wrist and ribs, was able to pull the other officers and the assailant to safety. "We don't anticipate that for this year,' Summers said Rustic Inn owner Bobbi Hoover has created several new policies that she said should help reduce problems. Room rates have been raised to $75 per night and occupancy restrictions have been imposed, Hoover said. Each person staying in the motel will be required to wear a wristband and give the motel their driver's license information. Last year, only people paying for the rooms were required to give their license. "People tend to behave better when they're not anonymous," Hoover said. "There's always going to be the crazies and the idiot college students who start drinking at 10 a.m., but we're hoping that there will be more responsible: people.. Page 1 of 1 http:// www. mccalistamews .com/pages /fp_stories _page.php 6/28/2012 The Star News Groups Page Page 1 of I McCall police t� join in impaired driving enforcement Using federal grant funds, the McCall Police Department is joining the Idaho Transportation Department and other law enforcement agencies to make highways safer. The education campaigns and high - visibility impaired driving enforcement patrols will run through July 13 as part of Idaho's "Toward Zero Deaths' goal of no traffic deaths on Idaho's roads. 'Traffic deaths are not just numbers, they are family and friends lost," McCall Lt. Pete Rittenger said. "We want everyone to make it home safety after holiday celebrations. We're committed to doing everything we can to help keep families safe and whole.' In 2010, impaired driving contributed to 1,593 crashes on Idaho's highways and caused 96 fatalities. 'Whether you've had one or two drinks, or way too many, it's not worth the risk to you or your family," Rittenger sad. 'Not only do you risk injuring or killing yourself or someone else, but the financial costs of an arrest or crash are significant.' Rittenger offered tips to help keep drivers safe. • Designate a sober driver and give that person the car keys. • Impaired motorists should call a taxi or sober friend or family member to get them home safely. • Promptly report drunk drivers Idaho State Police, call'ISP or Valley County Dispatch at 382 -5160. • Wear a safety bell while in a car or use a helmet and protective gear when on a motorcycle. • Take away the keys of someone who is about to drive while impaired- http://www.mccallstamews.com/pages/groups_page-php 7/5/2012 This week's front page stories Police report extended 4th of July was busy, but safe Revelers turned away at Nardi BaicAi dpw 1,000 - person quota reached BY DAN t: ALLA RER —i KENDE. ¢ WALRAW for Tk Sur - flews An !rite; »^�°°^r Day w^'.".. ^y which s.' etched am June 300 to Su :ay or : ne peop- kep'. tea enforcement occupied in Valley County, but no major problems were reported. Ponderosa State Park started turning away partiers from its North Beach area by midafternoon on July 4. The state parks department this year set a 1,000-person capacity for the beach, which has been the scene of impromptu July 4 parties since 2007. "This was a successful first step; parks and rec Communication Manager Jennifer Okerlund said. "What the next steps will be, if there are any, we don't know at this time.' ldabo State Pohre Sgt Sam Retchimi, left, and Lt. Brat Dole unugle „ith the iu,4pen,kvice Pay re, -,furs at North Erich. The water level of Payette Lake was hiaher than in previous years, so there was less room on the sand for the revelers. Z=Sts : pvw,°.w•.n. of,.hvi ai !`—Wt: Bead'. one DU!, one battery, one possession of drug paraphernalia and other changes, spokesman Lt. Dan Smith said. 3i�ma *are "ad are. ,aqaaad, while a ha. "-dc:.an were tra;spo;ed to Vwley Coon y Jau o, Cascade, Smith said. For the entire 10 days, the county made 39 arrests About 80 people arrested by the various agencies were taken to lad and all but a few bonded out Poor judgment Shown One Boise man who could have been charged with just minor -in- possession upped the ante, Smith said Camerae Compton, 20, ran from officers and crossed the rim channels a couple times with state troopers in pursuit in a canoe, Smith said .Hc lZied to pW:11h ��ryr• nt,. the rive. he hit h4n, behind the t'i..`•v..t s : !:.".a'A. "So he i. charged with minor in possession, battery, and resisting and obstrtcting officers_ He had W prior criminal history.- were con=ned that another party c. ,;.A r up at " :ath. Beach nn Saturday, Sm ate. A command outpost was established and up to 300 people were on the beach at one tine, but they crowd consisted of famikes, he said Idaho State Police had 14 officers and four dispatchers in Valley Co::nty to assist local depailmerts The agency made 55 arrests over the week, Smith sled. The troopers also responded to two injury accidents on side roads. "Al! in a°, we had positive feedback from individuals and businesses," said Cap! Steve P iCh rdson, ISP commander for southwestern Idaho. 'We have Sromi -rA ink rr itch nnch nc will tha Ine-a1 a�pnr nc trom our Perspective.' When asked aboLl the Raney CO',;nly FO: the ho!; day, DiMhl�rA s......., :w innmirrr tmnnprs in an area ran make the r1OFFm mp hptwepn A cake event And nnscihlp. inxlries nr worse V '!l's -,crnelh: g can don !imiled b. • he don't have u lot of re--ou,, but can nut a fair mimher in an inr.h1pnt-ntensivP. area for ashort tirnP uvweltuwTi Urcall Quiet The WOO pnliore DepartmPint made six arnrets and 34 rnMSrw_negn,r c.0- Mns hwlwla8n .hily, 2 and :wndav compared to three arrests and no citations during the weekend before the holiday. McCal! Police respoonded l a Iota! of 231 incidents between the two weekends and 'he holiday. Inridanfs inrkoded dklit rbing the p!--rA, animal clintrnI, disorderly nonduel, lost and found property, underaoe consumption, and fireworks mmolairds. nace,s made 206 L aaic slot- and issued 48 citations between June 28 and Sunday. Tharp wPrp nn arnvetc mtldo Rt. The Fhlttir Irm, fMnMrty Mir w, An The VWvwkrttan, rhmng aithor weekend or on July 4. The motel has been the site of disturbances during previous Jutv 4 celebrations. foolce broke up one fight outside of Sharliecest, a concert event "1d aI ••a Chester !%,e and Event Centre, but no one was arrested. McCall Fne & EMS Chief Mark B111knire said his department responded to 17 ^cidents on July 4, http;/ twww ,mecallstarnews,corrL /pages/tp i storiec�age.ghn http- ; w, -w-w.mccaiistarnews.cor-ipagess'i-, storiee_page -php Page 1 of 2 7/12/2012 7/i .2Z22012 This week's front page stories Cascade man paid $14,500 in McCall police abuse claim Rodney Whaley said he was injured by officer during 2011 t'rafc stop BY TOM GROTE The Star -News A Cascade man has been paid $14,500 after he claimed he was roughed up by a McCall Police Department officer during a traffic stop last year. The payment to Rodney T. Whaley was made by the city's insurance carrier. No other information was released as part of a public records request made by The Star -News. Whaley filed a claim with the city over the incident, which happened on July 6, 2011, while he was driving on Deinhard Lane in McCall. Whaley, who was age 76 at the time, said he was signalled to pull over by a McCall Police car drivin by Officer Brian Wood. Whaley got out of his car, thinking a mechanical problem spotted by Wood, when Wood `yelled at (him) to get back in his car," the claim said. "Not giving this frail senior citizen sufficient time to return to his car and obey this command, (Wood) forcefully seized (Whaley) by the arms, turned (him) around forcefully, and pulled (his) arms behind his back," the claim said. Wood then "slammed" Whaley on the hood of his pope car, causing him to lose consciousness, after which he slid down the police car to the ground, according to the claim. Whaley told Wood he could not breathe and asked Wood to call an ambulance, which Wood did. Whaley was taken by ambulance to St. Luke's McCall, where he was treated and released. He was then taken to Valley County Jail in Cascade, where he was charged with resisting and obstructing officers. The charge was later dismissed. Injured Ribs, Hands Whaley claims to have suffered four bruised ribs and swollen hands and later developed pneumonia and a staph infection in his thumb as a results of the incident. In addition to his injuries, Whaley claims the incident left him humiliated and suffering from "a profound sense of personal violation and betrayal" as well as a toss of self -respect and self-worth. The claim says Wood used excessive force and deprived him of his rights under the U.S. Constitution. He asked to be paid $500,000, which is the maximum allowed under state liability limits. Wood started as a McCall police officer on Feb. 1, 2010 and left the department Nov. 30, 2011, McCall Police Chief Jerry Summers said. Wood was not disciplined for the Whaley incident, Summers said. He declined to cite the reason why Wood left the department, saying it was a confidential personnel matter. http: / /www.mccallstamews .com/pages /fp_stories _page -php Page 1 of 1 7/26/2012 This week's front page stories Page I of I McCall police uncover counterfeit check operation Between $13,000 and $20,000 worth ofbogrs checks cashed A sophisticated counterfeit payroll check operation in Nampa was uncovered as a result of a McCall Police Department investigation. Last Thursday, Keric Davis, 40, was arrested near his home in Nampa and charged with felony forgery and possession of forged checks.. Also charged was Boise resident Shayne Howell, 22, who was already in custody in the Ada County Jail for other, unrelated charges, McCall Police Sgt. Pete Rittenger said. The investigation began when two males cashed a counterfeit check at a local McCall business on July 22, said Rittenger, who did not identify the business. Through the investigation, McCall police learned the two suspects had also cashed counterfeit checks in Marsing and Weiser on the same day. Keric Davis, teft md'hayw H.,,el nght McCall investigators distributed surveillance images of the two suspects to several Boise valley media outlets. Investigators received several tips based on the media exposure and, as a result, were able to identify one of the suspects. A task force including officers from McCall, Nampa, Emmett, Weiser and Homedale police departments as well the Owyhee County Sheriffs Office was formed. Davis was arrested and a search of his home uncovered a sophisticated counterfeit check operation which included computers, printers, multiple identification blanks, partially made Oregon and Idaho IDs, thousands of check blanks, hundreds of fictitious checks, laminating sheets and laminator, Rittenger said. Investigators also found several assumed names and multiple counterfeit business checks. "It is believed this operation cashed approximately $15,000 to $20,000 worth of counterfeit checks, although the full extent of the operation is still under investigation," Rittenger said. McCall investigators intend to charge both Davis and Howell with several crimes including forgery, possession of forged checks, conspiracy to commit fraud, and making, passing or publishing forged checks. "Our investigators never quit on this case and, based on their investigation, two people who victimized multiple businesses in several communities have been stopped," Rittenger said. Anyone who feels they have been a victim of a similar crime involving a fake payroll check should contact the McCall Police Department at 634 -7144. http:// www. mccalistamews .com/pages /fp_stories _page.php 8/16/2012 This week's front page stories Page 1 of 1 Survey to field public opinion of McCall police Interim manager wants to know depths ofcomplaints he's heard "Never have I lived in a community where people complain about too much enforcement. I want to find out why. " —Gene Drabinski BY KENDEL MURRANT For The Star-News An online survey has been launched that McCall officials hope will shed light on how the public perceives the McCall Police Department. A seven - question survey has been posted on the city's Web site, www.mccaltid.us. The questions ask users to rate WRECK INJURES 2 various aspects of the police department's work from "Strongly Agree" to "Strongly Disagree." The idea of the survey comes from a number of complaints Interim City Manager Gene Drabinski has received about the department even before he assumed his post at the beginning of August. "I had a number of people come up to me and complain about the police, especially the number of traffic and DUI "Never stops," Drabinski said. have I lived in a community moe hma em etlrF lEMS where people complain about too much enforcement. I want ReseuersiromNimeRyFue ,,,-ENISwmrkto 11 to find out why." remove Luty Stare, 5-, of New Meadows. from the prk,T Stare was dmwg that,rasped about r 43 P m Tuesday on ldabo .S+i at L mis Lau, The The two main complaints are there too many officers, and taekryiii:- headed north the lnpJlivayivbeu that officers are too assertive in pulling over drivers for Stare sven-ed to ai old a car stopped on die speeding and driving under the influence, he said. f Loomis e �ey Couuh SheilfsOficesaid Tharloll d several h Iles before comilig to rest on its wheels Drabinski plans to publish the results of the survey and siTCe wdapasse, ge . Kemp Si .w ;; of New work with Police Chief Jerry Summers to create an action Meadow. were taken by air milmlauce to St uplimus Repo" M`dicalCeide mBorse.where P Ian to address areas of dissatisfaction. they were ill serousconditi-- N-eduesda.v The driver of the cal. Valley Comity Commissioner Ray Drabinski and Summers sat down together and talked Moore, gn, ofDouue6 a:as "avrlured,: ndh.ffir about different ways to approach this public perception. xas blocked for ashort roue o"theingIrv.iy _An investigation iyascontimmigasofWeduesdi,i "It's hard for me to know if we have the right number of officers and resources until 1 know what the outcome is we're looking for," Drabinski said. "I am approaching this by asking what are we looking for from our police department, and are we getting it," he said. "Once we know that, I can have some idea if we have the right resources or not." A mailed survey would be too expensive, so the city is conducting the survey electronically through its Web site. The survey will be live through Sept. 20. "We have 3,000 people who live here," he said. "if 20 people are vocal about an issue, I don't know if they are representative. I need larger, louder voices from the community so I really understand." McCall Police Survey Questions Here are the questions posted on the city of McCall's Web site regarding the McCall Police Department. To take the survey, go to www.mccall.id.us. The survey closes Sept. 20. Questions 1 through 6 ask the respondent to answer in a range of "Strongly Agree" to "Strongly Disagree." Questions 7 asks for a rating on a scale of 1 to 10. The survey also asks for general comments about the police department. 1. McCall Police are courteous. 2. McCall Police are responsive. 3. 1 feel my neighborhood is safe. 4. 1 feel safe walking downtown during the day. 5. 1 feel safe walking downtown at night. 6. Current Police Department traffic law enforcement is effective at creating a safe walking and bicycling environment. 7. Overall I would rate McCall Police performance as (score 1 to 10): http: / /www.mccallstarnews.com /pages /fp_stories _page.php 9/6/2012 Star -News News Page_Lead Story McCall police survey shows wide range of opinion 'Room for improvement' seen by chief, city manager "That surprised me, how long and strongly held are the bad feelings people have. " —Gene Drabinski BY KENDEL MURRANT For The Star-News The McCall Police Department has formed a plan of action to improve its relationship and reputation with the community after seeing the results of an online survey by the city. A total 576 responses to the survey gave the police department an overall approval rating of 5.87 out of 10, a number that city leaders agree needs work. "No one likes to see even a C+ on a report card," Interim City Manager Gene Drabinski said. "It's important for us to know how we are currently perceived so we can make a plan to improve." "There's room for improvement," McCall Police Chief Jerry Summers said. On a scale of 1 to 10, more than a third of the survey - takers picked either a 10 or a 1, showing an extreme and polarized view of the department, Drabinski said. "The polarization is something that calls for a solution. We want to figure out how to improve the low scores without impacting the high scores," he said. In addition to filling out the seven - question survey, 6 people - almost 75 percent - left additional comments specifically addressing additional topics like the number of traffic stops and officer behavior. The full survey with all of the comments have been on the city's web site at www.mccall.id.us. Names and telephone numbers that some included in their comments have been removed. Long Memories Drabinski said that he was surprised by "long memories" linked to some of the complaints in the comments. "There are specific incidents noted in the remarks section that predate the leadership we've had since 2005," he said. "They predate the memories of all but a couple of the police officers on the force." "That surprised me, how long and strongly held are the bad feelings people have," Drabinski said. The survey was not only to gauge the police's popularity, but its effectiveness, he said. "The primary goal of the police department is not to win a popularity contest, it's to ensure the security of the city of McCall," Drabinski said. "But that doesn't mean that you can ignore the hearts and minds of the community." Feelings of safety and security are areas in which the survey showed a strong positive response, with only 7 percent saying they feel unsafe in their neighborhoods, 3 percent saying they feel unsafe downtown during the day, and 8 percent saying they feel unsafe downtown at night. Several comments in the survey expressed the belief that the police generate significant revenue from traffic citations. This year, McCall Police has received about $34,000 from all citations and court fees, which accounts for only 2 percent of the department's overall budget of $1.57 million. Most of the money from citations goes to state entities like highway safety, Summers said. "We are not a revenue - generating business," he said. "If we depended on that, we'd go bankrupt." Focus on Traffic Stops More than 100 of the comments complained of too many traffic stops, making it the most frequent subject and one the city wants to prioritize. Summers said that his philosophy for traffic stops is rooted in educating the driver rather than strictly punishment. "Generally speaking, 80 percent of the people we stop get warnings, " Summers said. "We don't want to penalize them for that one day." One potential solution, suggested by one of the department's patrol officers, is to hand out business cards with the officer's name, department contact information, and reason for the stop to each person who is pulled over The entire police department read all of the survey results and comments and generated ideas on how to help improve. The police department is having an annual training session in November, at which time there will be a review of everything from its core values and philosophies to how officers carry out their every day duties. Page 1 of 2 http: / /www.mccallstarnews.com/pages /lead _page.php 10/4/2012 Star -News News Page Lead Story Page 2 of 2 Officer demeanor and conduct, which was the subject of several comments in the survey, is something that will be addressed, Summers said "We have a young department, and we can train them to have a more'customer friendly' approach," he said. On average, the nine patrol officers have about two year's experience at McCall Police, and most came in as rookie officers, Summers said. "When I was a new officer, it took me a while to realize that people wanted to see my personality, that I needed to be educational without coming across as cold and unfeeling," he said. Drabinski said the survey has helped the department outline ways to change, both short-term and long -term. "Change will not come just from this survey or one training session. But over time with consistent effort, I fully expect we will move up that ladder of scoring," Drabinski said. http:// www. mccallstamews .com /pages/lead _page.php 10/4/2012 Star -News News Page—Lead Story Page 1 of 1 McCall to review police grant on special patrols Bl' KENDEL h1URR. -INT For The Star -News The city of McCall is considering whether to discontinue a state grant program for targeted police patrols as a way of cutting down on traffic stops by McCall officers. The $50,000 state grant has been given to the McCall Police Department during several of the past eight years. The grant, which comes from the Idaho Transportation Department Office of Highway Safety, pays patrol officers additional overtime shifts to specifically patrol for DUls, aggressive driving, and seatbelt violations. Officers work these shifts in addition to their regular hours. Under the rules of the grant, they are only permitted to make traffic stops for those three offenses. So far this year, there have been 769 stops made by McCall officers on these specific patrols, which is about 26 percent of all traffic stops made this year, according to information provided by the city. "On the DUI arrests alone, I think we could pull over 769 people at random and do better than 15," Interim City Manager Gene Drabinski told the McCall City Council last Thursday at the council's regular meeting. Eliminating the grant could be a way to reduce the number of traffic stops in town without jeopardizing citizens' safety, Drabinski said. The frequency of traffic stops was prominently mentioned by comments submitted as part of the city's recent online survey of the police department. This year's grant would be renewed in November. Drabinski said patrol officers will still be taking these extra shifts through the end of the month, but has not decided yet whether or not to apply again for the grant. The state funds provide about $38,000 for the extra patrol shifts and $11,500 for equipment. "I'm very aware of the law of unintended consequences," Drabinski said. "Before we say no more grants, I want to know how that will affect the community and the department." http:// www .mccallstarnews.com /pages/lead _page -php 10/4/2012 Star -News News Page_Lead Story Pagel of 2 Excerpts from McCall police online survey Below are excerpts from the 6 written comments received as part of the city of McCall's online survey of the public's perception of the McCall Police Department. Excerpts complimentary to the police department are listed first, followed by comments critical of McCall police. Comments Complimentary to McCall Police Those people that complain are probably people that have in some way broke the law either by running a stop sign, speeding, etc., or those that have gotten a DUI. I am thankful for the cops stopping those people because that has kept my family and other people's families safe. Please do not decrease the number of officers due to the large number of visitors we experience and second homes in the area that need protection. I feel with the large number of visitors, especially on the weekends and holidays who wish to party, the city would not be safe. Our town is desirable because the men and women of the McCall Police Department care about the community and our children. They are the first to help in times of trouble. They should not be the ones who are penalized because others choose to function in an unsafe and /or unlawful manner. In researching the purchase of our property I asked several local real estate agents and builders about the area's crime rate. They all stated that McCall has a very strong police presence. This was one of the reasons my wife and I decided to retire here full time. I encourage our police department to uphold the laws. I want my children to be safe! I applaud the deputies for pulling over the speedsters (local or visifing) and the DUI stops. Keep up the good work! As a person that has asked the police department for help and drive home late at night in the summer from work, I appreciate getting drunk drivers off our streets and the fact that a police officer will arrive on the scene in 5 -15 minutes after you request their assistance. I have never found them anything but polite and patient in their dealings with the public even when the public is not cooperative. The way I look at it is that the laws are there for a reason and if someone speeds by choice or by mistake, the police are there to enforce the speeding laws to protect the driver and those around them. 1 feel that their DUI arrest numbers are not excessive, but a reflection of the need of the number of law enforcement due to the nature of what tourist visitors come and do here. Just because they come here to spend money does not give them the right to drive drunk and put the rest of the public in danger. I was not paying attention and a kind officer stopped me to remind me of the speed limit. I appreciate the reminder, 1 think about it all the time. i think it helps to have the officers stop drivers going over the speed limit. Let me see if i have this right. People want to drink as much as they want, and then get in a car and drive as fast as they want?! I have no problem with the police stopping people who are speeding or under the influence. McCall is a safe town and ! would like to see it stay that way. I do not understand the logic of saying that our city police officers are making to many DUI arrests. Its not the fault of the McCall PD that people make poor decisions and put their own life and the lives of others at risk by driving while intoxicated. If these people are on the road I really do not want them on the road for the sake of my family's safety. Comments Critical of McCall Police Too many officers employed at taxpayer expense for size of our community relative to other communities in Idaho ofsimilar size and circumstances. I fear that I will be hassled and ticketed for anything they can come up with - day or night, on foot, bicycle or vehicle. I have been conditioned to feel this way by police behavior for many years now. Just because 1 feel my neighborhood is safe and walking downtown is safe, doesn't mean it is because of the police efforts. There are too many police with not enough to do and people of this community feel very harassed by the police. It has become obvious that being out after dark leads the police to believe that you are a criminal. The overzealousness of our police force is to justify their presence, their numbers employed and to provide "proof'that their budget is justified. I feel there are too many police with very little to do and so they are overly aggressive /assertive trying to enforce the law. 1 am strongly against drunk driving, but not at the expense of pulling over 10 people and harassing them in order to try and catch one offender. Yes, we have a safe community. But it has little to do with the police. It is because we live in a rural environment with little crime. Police aren't solving crime by pulling over people for doing 27 mph in a 25 mph zone or sitting outside the ice rink at night looking for ways to pull over cars to see if the driver has been drinking. I fully support the department. I do feel, however, that the department could earn some positive results by having themselves publicly seen in more positive, and less aggressive, circumstances. It is not very courteous to greet motorists at the edge of town with ticket books in hand. This should not be acceptable in any city, but especially ones like McCall that depend on tourism. http: / /www.mccallstamews.com/pages /lead _page.php 10/4/2012 Star -News News Page—Lead Story Page 2 of 2 As an owner of property in the area, it would be nice to come up without worrying about being nagged by the cops because of the origins of my license plate. We pay way too much for the size of police force we have, that can be used in better ways. The police force is ruining our town by harassing the people who come to our town, and make our town survive. I feel safe in McCall. However, it's not because of McCall police officers. They are rude, disrespectful and have no regard for the general public. It feels as though we are all criminals until proven innocent. Yes, the police department performs admirably, I don't think anybody questions that. What people do question is the disproportionate size and cost of the police department we have. I feel that the police would rather try and find or search out a supposed drinker rather than take a serious, more emergency related call. It is just to upside down in our beautiful little town. The cops in McCall are turning our town into a place where people have fear instead of trust, and that is very damaging for the image of the town and sends a message to young drivers that they are automatically distrusted. The police should be in the background, not noticed. You can look for problems without stopping everyone who you even slightly suspect may be breaking the law. You attempt to cast a wide net in order to catch the very few that do need catching, but by doing this you make the rest of us feel like we live in a police state where our every movement is monitored. People do not feel unsafe because of crime, they feel unsafe because of the police. As a young person, I constantly feel like I'm being followed and stalked. They are not the solution, as police should be. They are the problem. You can pave all your streets, make parks, plant trees and flowers, put in bike paths, but until something is done to reel in the unfriendly, overstaffed, huge budget police force it just wont matter much, because like I have heard over and over again, "Why should we come to McCall to have our rights trampled on when we can spend our money in Sun Valley, Ketchum, etc., and not be in fear of unprofessional police?" http://www.mccallstarnews.com/pages/lead_page.php 10/4/2012 Star -News News Page—Lead Story Page 1 of 1 Summary of Online Survey of McCall Police Department 576 Responses Overall Rating (1 is poor, 10 is outstanding): 7 -10 - 47 %, 5 -6 - 14%,1-4 - 39 %. Note: 21% scored 10, while 13% scored 1. Average Score: 5.87 McCall Police Are Courteous: Agree or Strongly Agree - 52 %. Disagreed or strongly disagreed - 28%. Neither Agree or Disagree - 20 %. McCall Police Are Responsive: Agree or Strongly Agree - 60 %. Disagreed or strongly disagreed - 14 %. Neither Agree or Disagree - 26 %. Neighborhood is Safe: Agree or Strongly Agree - 75 %. Disagreed or strongly disagreed - 7 %. Neither Agree or Disagree - 18 %. Feel Safe Walking Downtown During the Day: Agree or Strongly Agree - 88 %. Disagreed or strongly disagreed - 3 %. Neither Agree or Disagree - 9 %. Feel Safe Walking Downtown at Night: Agree or Strongly Agree - 77 %. Disagreed or strongly disagreed - 8 %. Neither Agree or Disagree - 15 %. Traffic Law Enforcement is Effective at Creating a Safe Walking and Bicycling Envrionmet: Agree or Strongly Agree - 49 %. Disagreed or strongly disagreed - 26 %. Neither Agree or Disagree - 26 %. http:// www. mccallstamews .com/pages/lead _page.php 10/4/2012 Star -News News Page_Lead Story Page 1 of 1 McCall Police Department By the Numbers Current Budget: $1.57 Million 19 full time employees, 1 part time, including: • Chief Jerry Summers • Nine Patrol Officers. • Three Detectives. • One School Resource Officer. • One Each: Administrative Officer, Support Services Supervisor, Evidence Technician, Witness Coordinator, One Full Time Code Enforcement Officer and One Part Time Code Enforcement Officer. http:// www. mccallstamews .com/pages/lead _page.php 10/4/2012 This week's front page stories McCall to apply for grant to fund extra police patrols Chiefsays number of trafc stops would not increase BY KENDEL MURRANT For The Star-News The McCall Police Department will apply for a $50,000 state grant to fund up to 1,900 hours of specialized patrols. The McCall City Council last week unanimously approved a request by Chief Jerry Summers to seek the grant from the Idaho Transportation Department's Office of Highway Safety. The grant would not add significantly to the number of traffic stops the department makes and will save McCall taxpayers money, Summers said. "Our intention is to make the same amount of stops we're already making, but doing them on the grant," he said. The grant would allow the department to spend 10 weeks a year focusing on driving under the influence, aggressive driving, seatbeft violations, and bicycle and pedestrian safety. "These are all things we're enforcing all the time, so doing it on the grant is saving the McCall taxpayers money in my eyes," Summers said One of the two police officers on patrol would be working on the specific enforcement while the other is free to address a broader scope of calls and stops, he said. The grant should not put additional officers on patrol compared to the department's usual staffing schedule, Summers said. McCall police has received two previous grants under the program. A total of $4,400 for equipment was given in 2011 and about $16,800 for equipment and overtime reimbursement was received this year. Council Review Requested Interim City Manager Gene Drabinski asked for the council to review the grant application this year rather than having Summers send it in directly as in years past. Drabinski said last month that he feared the traffic stops made on the grant were contributing to the perception of excess policing and too many traffic stops. Those complaints were prominent in comments received in an online survey of the police department conducted in September. In response to the survey, Summers has formed an internal task force made up of five police employees to improve public perception of the department, Summers said. "We really need the police department to be perceived as a part of the community working for the betterment of all, as opposed to a perceived outside agency that inhibits our comfort," Drabinski said. Summers said he wants to have members of the community join the task force as well. "We're looking at how to show that we hear the community and how to show that we do self - police," he said. Summers said McCall Police has been diligent in bringing accountability to officers who, though following the law, do not fit in with the department's approved methods. "There are officers who make legal stops, but it doesn't follow the philosophy of the department," he said. Page 1 of 1 http: / /www.mccallstamews .com/pages /fp_stories _page.php H/1/2012 ews Story McCall police start to respond to survey Number of pf eers nnfo r, rnlJvd. ..... :r "Marry of the things we were doing correctly, and other things we recognize there is a higher sensitivity. " --Jerry Summers BY KENDEL MURRANT For The Sian -News The McCall Police Department has taken steps to respond to a survey that painted a mixed picture of their image in the community, the city's manager and police chief said. However, one thing that won't change is the number of officers on the force, they said. "Many of the things we were doing correctly, and other things we recognize there is a higher sensitivity to in the community," McCall Police Chief Jerry Summers said. The survey was posted on the city's website in September for about two weeks, and 576 responses were submitted. About 75 percent of the responses also included additional comments, most of which focused on the number of traffic stops and officer behavior. The survey results gave the department an overall rating of 5.87 out of 10, with more than a third of respondents choosing either a 1 or a 10 rating. As a result, Summers and City Manager Gene Drabinski formed an in -house task force to see how the department should respond. Task force members include patrolmen Andrew Fisher and Dallas Palmer, Support Services Supervisor Sandy Ryska, Oct. Brian Holbrook and Summers. In response to one frequent complaint - that the department is overstaffed - Drabinski said he is confident department's eight traffic patrol officers is the right number to best fit the town's needs. "We have two officers on at all times, and it allows us to adjust for ebbs and flows in the population," Drabinski said. The department is in line with other communities of similar size in Idaho, he said. That assumes the town's average population hits about 8,000 people when taking into account the infkix of tourists and part-time residents on holidays, weekends, and other popular seasons, he said. Season Officers Discussed The idea of hiring seasonal officers to supplement a smaller year -round police force was discussed, Drabinski said. "It would entail a complete reworking of our police department, and I don't think that makes sense from an economic or administrative perspective," he said One area the entire department is focused on is how to best serve the people of McCall. Summers said. "We need to get better on public education," he said, saying that many officers are already involved in the community through coaching, civic outreaches, and school activities. Each police department employee generated ideas, the result of which will be the foundation for a three -day training session Drabinski will conduct in February. "They're saying, 'Here's what important and here's what we aspire to be," Drabinski said. "If you have a bunch of really good professionals who aspire to this, then our job in management is to facilitate those aspirations." Since the results of the survey came in, two patrol officers have left, one new officer has been hired, and the remaining vacancy is being filled, he said. "I would not change a single police officer here," he said. "We have a police force that I am proud to work with and that the city can be proud of." The survey has provided facts, and not just stories, that make it easier to identify problems, Drabinski said. Page http:// www. mccallstamews .com /pages/lead _page.php 1/24/2013 The Star News Groups Page McCall police, Valley sheriff join "Click It or Ticket' McCall Police Department and Valley County Sheriff's Office will take part in the 2013 national 'Click It or Ticket' seat belt enforcement mobilization starting Friday through Feb. 17. Officers will be cracking down on motorists who fail to wear their seat belts, both day and night. In 2011, 20,833 vehicle crashes statewide resulted in 167 fatalities and 1,293 serious injuries, a news release said. Only 32 percent of the occupants killed in crashes were wearing seat belts. High- visibilty enforcement such as the Click it or Ticket mobilization is credited with increasing the national belt usage rate from 58 percent in 1994 to 84 percent in 2011, the release said. http: / /www.mccallstamews- com/pages /groups _page.php 2/7/2013 News News Page_Lead Story Summers fate still in doubt following McCall council discussions Police chief Has been on paid leave since Feb. I BY UNDEL MURRANT For The Star-News McCall Police Chief Jerry Summers was still on the city's payroll Wednesday, and the McCall City Council has not made it clear if that will change any time soon. Mayor Don Bailey said Tuesday that all five members of the city council received a confidential memo Tuesday from City Attomey Bill Nichols. ' After a closed meeting that lasted for about 20 minutes at McCall City Hall Tuesday night, the council unanimously agreed to "proceed as noted in (Nichols') confidential memo," without disclosing what the memo said. ,p Bailey said Nichols would contact Summers' attorney, Matt Williams of Cascade, to Jar' "discuss the situation," but would not give any more details. Williams said Wednesday he had not been contacted by Nichols. When asked 6 he could be offered a settlement for Summers from the city, Williams said the city "can't afford a settlement" that would be sufficient. "They have ruined Jerry's career," Williams said. The content of Nichols' memo to the council is confidential under attorney - client privilege, Bailey said Summers' employment status, suspended with pay, was not affected by the council's decision on Tuesday, Bailey said. "He's still an employee, and he's been paid for the last month," Bailey said. Bailey also said the city council "has not come to a decision" about Summers' employment status. The council may schedule another closed meeting after Nichols contacts Williams, Bailey said, but no meeting had been set as of press time Wednesday. "The most frustrating thing is that they haven't set a date (for another meeting)," Williams said. "They can't fire (Summers) without having a vote in public, and they can't bring him back without a vote! "This is not a difficult decision, and the fact that it's taken this long is beyond me," Williams said Suspended Feb. 1 Drabinski, who suspended Summers with pay on Feb. 1, said he did not receive Nichols' memo and did not know what the council's decision meant. This is the council's third closed meeting in four weeks following Summers' suspension. The council met for more than four hours in a closed meeting on Feb. 28 where they heard a presentation from Summers followed by a rebuttal from Drabinksi. The council then met behind closed doors last Thursday for more than two hours with Nichols and the city's human resources representative Barbara Sivey. At the end of that meeting, the council's only action was to schedule Tuesday's meeting. As city manager, Drabinksi has the power to suspend a department head, but city law says the council must give its approval before a department head is fired. Summers, who has been chief since 2005, has continued to draw his $87,600 per year salary since his suspension. Drabinski has declined to state the reason for Summers' suspension, but has said the suspension was not due to any criminal acts. Page 1 of 1 http:// www. mccallstamews .com/pages/lead_page.php 3/14/2013 This week's front page stories BOOK ivom 6r Te YrMnm brKYAtl Ym.mt "c'72 Pohre I�epattuteat offices m ftdl assnult gear• stage thewseh-: at as ahL Led house oa Fnst Street in WCA Tuesdae afternoon '[Le -tin was put of a dl>tl oa using ecplmves to enter a budding conducted In* the Caldwell Pohee DepariuteuYs rncacal irspoase team. mmteeu Dk� al officers attracted tfie dac -long course, dung which offices set off mulhple exjAomw at the house Page 1 of 1 http:// www. mccallstamews .com/pages /archive_2013 /05_23_13 webedition/Copy %2OoP /o... 54x/2013 week's front page stories McCall manager in no hurryto hire police chief BY KENDEL NIURRAW For The Star -News There is no urgency to hire a new chief of the McCall Police Department, City Manager Gene Drabinski said. Finding a well-qualified chief is more important than completing a quick hire, Drabinski said. That means the search could extend into the fall. One thing holding up the search for a replacement to fired Chief Jerry Summers is an exercise by police department employees to create a vision for itself, he said. After that is done, the search will begin for a leader who is compatible with that vision, Drabinski said. Summers was fired by Drabinksi on Feb. 15 and the firing was upheld by the McCall City Council on April 11. Summers has since sued the city, claiming his firing was an act of retaliation by Drabinski. Drabinski has assembled a task force of seven officers, a human resources representative, and himself to redefine the department. "We are in the process of defining what kind of police department we want to be, our core values," he said, which include being a "commundy- centered" department. "We want to continue to define ourselves rather than hire a chief who brings their own design," he said. Drabinski is conducting interviews with each of the department's work groups, including patrol, detectives, and code enforcement to identify desired characteristics. It could take another two months to nail down whether to start a search for the next chief or if someone already on the force might qualify, he said. There will also be another online survey about the police department in September, one year after the initial survey was posted, he said. That survey generated 576 responses and about 426 additional comments, many which expressed concerns over the number of traffic stops and officer conduct. The department received an overall rating of 5.87 out of 10. The police department is starting to implement a new plan to visit businesses in the community, he said. The plan involves one visit per quarter and puts businesses in touch with two officers, a patrol sergeant, and the police chief each year, he said. Page 1 of 1 http : / /www.mccallstarnews.com/pages /archive 2013/ 05_ 23 _13_webedition/Copy %20of" /o... 5/38/2013 week's front page stories Hands on the Helrn Consultant hired to tell McCall City Council how to govern BY KENDEL MURRANT For The Star -News The McCall City Council has enlisted the resources of a government efficiency consultant to help identify and define the best ways to govern the city. Council members have been individually interviewed during the last two weeks by consultant Stan McNutt of St. Manes. McNutt has worked as a city manager for nearly a dozen cities across the Northwest and has been a city council member. McNutt will present a seminar about the roles and functions of city councils and city Stan MeNtut managers at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 20 at McCall City Hall. The seminar is open to the public. The council voted to hire McNutt last month. He will be paid no more than $4,000, including traveling expanses to and from McCall. The money will come from the city council's contingency fund. Stay Out of Trouble "The purpose is to evaluate closely what other cities have done to make themselves successful," council member Nic Swanson said, including how to "keep out of hot water" while creating "efficiencies in government." "These roles need a more defined understanding," McCall Mayor Don Bailey said. "This should help clarify the roles among the (city) staff and city council and how they should fit together so everything's more efficient." McNutt said he has given similar seminars to dozens of cities to help municipal governments run more efficiently and practically. "I'm an Idaho native, and I understand the culture," he said, saying any changes he suggests will still "maintain what is uniquely Idaho and uniquely McCall." "in the seminar, I'll discuss ... how to build an effective team between the council and the city manager," he said. One goal council members share is to create a more transparent and easy - to-read budget, and to make the process more accessible. "He's got ideas to streamline the budget and make it a more workable process, to make it more readable and understandable to everybody," council member Jackie Aymon said. McNutt is also helping the council put together a series of documents that defines some of these topics, which will help future council members and city managers. "Something like a how -to manual," Bailey said "It's especially important for a city manager form of government." Drabinski, who has been city manager since last August, said there is a lot of "tribal knowledge" about how things in the city operate, but no documentation to put everyone on the same page. "People who have been on the council the longest knew what had been done in previous years, but for people like me who are new, there's nothing to look to about roles, responsibilities, functions and how to make govemance of this city work," he said. McNutt said he appreciated the level of enthusiasm demonstrated by the council members and Drabinski. "I am really impressed with the variety of attributes and skills and experiences and enthusiasm," he said. Three Cities Have Managers McCall, Lewiston, and Twin Falls are the only cities in Idaho that operate under a city manager system. Nationally, about 40 percent of all cities use a city manager government system. In a city manager form of government, the council members are responsible for creating and passing laws and shaping an overall vision for the city. The council hires a city manager, who oversees the administrative functions of the city, and advises the council in its decisions. Page 1 of 1 http: / /www.mccal lstarnews .com/pages /archive_2013 /04_11 _13_webedition/Copy %20of%... 4/N/2013 week's front page stories McCall council nixes mandatory trash service Any contract with Lakeshore will be voluntary "I just don't think we need to tell 1,500 homes that they're now in for one more service. " — Laura Scott BY KENDEL MURRANT For The Star -News In a 3 -2 decision, the McCall City Council voted last week not to require mandatory trash collection service in the city. Council members Nic Swanson, Laura Scott and Marcia Witte voted against mandaory service, while Mayor Don Bailey and council member Jackie Aymon were in the minority. Swanson previously had said he favored mandatory collection, but told his fellow council members in a two -page memo he had changed his mind. Swanson said he was not convinced mandatory collection would solve McCall's bear problem any more than voluntary service with bear -proof trash containers. "I now stand against the mandate, because I feel the bear -proof containers will be a significant step in the right direction towards bear proofing our town without the necessity of mandatory service," Swanson wrote. "What it comes down to is a 10 -year mandate to spend money, and I think people have the right to choose what to do with their own property," Swanson said in the meeting. Swanson asked city staff to draft a new contract with Lakeshore Disposal to reflect a voluntary trash collection system. That new language may return to the council as soon as their next regular meeting next Thursday. Many Homes Not Served An estimated 1,000 to 1,300 of McCalrs 2,500 homes have voluntary pickup with Lakeshore through a contract with Valley County. That contract is up for renewal on Oct. 1. "I just don't think we need to tell 1,500 homes that they're now in for one more service." Scott said. "That it would be nice if everyone subscribed, but I'm not comfortable mandating it." "It's a big jump from 'You can do whatever you want' to having to have mandated service," Witte said. Voluntary service would still allow for trash collection options, from weekly to monthly to on -call pickup, and multiple sized bear -proof containers. The cost of voluntary service is higher than mandatory service, with prices from $15.50 a month for weekly pickup to $10 a month for monthly collection. The cities of Donnelly and Cascade both have mandatory trash collection requirements for residents. Valley County has voluntary service for all the areas served under their contract with Lakeshore. Aymon gave an impassioned speech, citing multiple reasons why she believes mandatory trash collection is necessary for McCall. "Big change doesn't happen until you have the law," Aymon said. "If we were really serious about a clean, safe and happy neighborhood, we all have to be a part of this, and I think mandatory garbage is the only way to go." F &G Notes Calls The Idaho Department Fish and Game receives 75 to 100 calls a year from city residents complaining about bears resulting in two to six bears killed each year, F &G wildlife biologist Mike Scott said. Enforcement of trash collection will be a problem with a volunteer service, Aymon said. Existing city law already requires residents to keep their trash in animal -proof containers K the containers are stored outdoors, she said. "Are we going to make our police go door -to -door and ask to see if people are keeping their garbage picked up ?" she said. "Are we going to make neighbors call the police on each other and impose jail time or (expensive) fines ?" Bailey said trash collection is no different than water or sewer services, which are mandatory to city residents. Page 1 of 1 It http:// www. mccallstamews .com/pages /fp_stories _page.php 4/2,2/2013 Star -News News Page Lead Story Summers says 'retaliation by Drabinski at root of firing City manager dismisses former chiefs claims BY TOM GROTE and KENDELL MURRANT The Star -News Former McCall Police Chief Jerry Summers was fired as an act of retaliation by McCall City Manager Gene Drabinski, according to Summers' lawyer. Last Thursday the McCall City Council upheld the decision by Drabinski on Feb. 15 to fire Summers, who had been chief of police since 2005. Summers had been on paid leave since Feb. 1 until his termination last week. Drabinski has declined to say why he fired Summers, but two council members said he and the police chief were unable to work together. Summers is represented by Cascade attorney Matt Williams, who was Valley County's prosecuting attorney until January. Williams said one claim of retaliation stemmed from Summers' support of Valley Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Carol Brockmann to be McCall's permanent city manager. Drabinski was hired as an interim manager last August, and then applied for the permanent job. He and Brockmann were named as finalists. When asked to respond on Tuesday, Drabinski said he had no way of knowing who Summers supported, "nor would I care." "Whether he thought Carol was a better candidate than me, I don't know," he said. "He never talked to me about it, and I didn't inquire." Williams said Drabinski became "physically aggressive" toward Summers during a meeting last year while Drabinski was interim manager. Drabinski did not touch Summers in the incident, which happened during a discussion about the public's perception of the police department's aggressive tactics, Williams said. "I don't know what (he) means by'physically aggressive, "' Drabinski said. "I'm 68 years old, I'm hardly physically aggressive to anyone. I don't know what he's talking about." Illegal Driver's License Another grounds for retaliation cited by Williams was the discovery by Summers that Drabinski illegally held an Idaho driver's license at the same time his driver's licence from his former home state of Massachusetts was under revocation. Summers repeatedly wamed Drabinski that he was in violation of law, Williams said. Drabinski also fired Summers in retaliation for his filing a claim against Valley County last October, Williams said. In the claim, which is a warning of a pending lawsuit, Summers said county officials had committed libel and slander against him as part of "a deliberate pattern and practice ... stretching over the last 15 years." Earlier in 2012, Summers recommended criminal charges against Sheriff Patti Bolen, her chief deputy and a jail sergeant in connection with the handling of the suspect in the arson of the Cascade school in 2011. No charges were filed and county officials questioned whether Summers had jurisdiction to conduct the investigation. Drabinski declined further comment on the claims by Summers. "Jerry knows why he's been terminated, the council knows why," he said. "This is Matt Williams' and Jerry Summers' right to find an angle for litigation purposes, and I wish them good luck with that," Drabinski said. "But I'm not going to go down here and play this game with them." "This situation, as far as I'm concerned, is in the rear -view mirror," he said. http:// www. mecallstamews .com/pagesAead _page.php Page 1 of 1 1� 4/N/2013 ews Page_Lead Story McCall fires chief Summers Council members say police chief Summers, Drabinski could not work together "But change needed to happen. If it hadn't, it would have been a mess. " Nic Swanson BY KENDEL MURRANT For The Star -News Jerry Summers was fired from his former position as McCall's chief of police last Thursday by a unanimous vote from the McCall City Council. Two council members said after the meeting that the council tried to find a way for Summers and McCall City Manager Gene Drabinki to work together, but in the end that was not possible. �• I 4 ' "It's an ugly situation. We're between a rock and a hard place," council member Nic Swanson said. "But change needed to happen. If it hadn't, it .rrut Gru,. . would have been a mess." Smumers Drabuula Council member Laura Scott said Drabinski and Summers were both "assets to the city" who were "trying to do the right thing." "There was obviously a challenge that (Summers and Drabinski) had working together, and I'm disappointed that it came to this," Scott said. Sgt. Larry Stokes has been acting chief since Summers was suspended with pay on Feb. 1. Summers, 54, has been paid $35,406 in gross pay, which includes salary plus and vacation time and sick leave during his suspension, according to city records. He joined the police department in 1997 and was named chief in 2005. Drabinksi did not specify when the search for a new police chief would begin. Scott and Swanson both said the council took pains to explore all possible options to see if a functional working relationship could be established between Summers and Drabinski. When that was determined not to be possible, the council decided to present Summers with a "substantial" settlement offer in March, Swanson said. Best Possible Offer Although he did not disclose a dollar amount, Swanson said it was "the best possible offer we could muster." Summers sent a counter offer that council did not accept, Swanson said. "The entire council didn't see it as reasonable or fair," Swanson said. Summers was suspended with pay on Feb. 1. Drabinski said on Monday that he gave Summers a formal letter of termination on Feb. 15. But Summers was kept on suspended status because city code requires the city council to approve any firing of a department head. Between Feb. 1 and last Thursday, the council met in closed sessions five times for a total of 12 hours on the topic. During its meeting on Feb. 21, Summers presented his case to council members for why he should not be fired, after which Drabinksi was given time for rebuttal. Closed sessions after Feb. 21 excluded Drabinksi and Summers and only included council members plus city attorneys and human resource personnel. "I thought (Summers) was doing a good job as police chief, and I was not the only one who felt that way," Scott said "But the sequence of events between the initial leave (in February) and where we got to on Thursday, it reached a point where it wasn't going to (work)," she said. Silence Necessary Swanson said his role as a council member does not includes picking and choosing employees for Drabinski to manage. "I can't decide who should be running the show day -to -day," he said. "(Drabinski) is the CEO of the city. He's in charge, and I can't make those decisions for him." The public silence over the deliberations was necessary to respect the privacy of Summers, Scott said. "I know it was frustrating and there was a lot of speculation, and the secrecy unfortunately leads to that," she said. Mayor Don Bailey and council members Marcia Witte and Jackie Aymon declined to comment on the termination. http://www.mccallstamews.com/pages/lead_page.php Pagel of 2 4/k/2013 ews Page Lead Story Page 2 of 2 Drabinski applauded the council's decision. "There was a lot of risk here in terms of a high - performing police chief terminated by a city manager who had only been in his official capacity for a few months," Drabinski said. "They wanted to make sure they were doing the right thing," he said. The 18 employees of the police department have been asked to suggest attributes they want to see in their next chief, Drabinski said. "If there is one thing you can count on, it's change," he said. "But it will be step by step, collaborative, and it will have a focus on a high - performing, well- respected McCall Police Department." k� http:// www. mccallstamews .comJpages/lead _page.php 4/$`/2013 policy, not people Consultant gives advice on `staying out of trouble' "We're basically novices and volunteers, so we're just done things tl been done. " Jackie Aymon BY KENDEL MURRANT For The Star -News Stan McNutt wants to change the way the McCall City Council handlesthe employees. http: / /www.mccallstamews.com /pages /archive_ 2013/04_25_ 13_webeditionICopy %2Oof%... 5/28/2013 This week's front page stories Page 4 of 6 McNutt told council members during a six -hour presentation onSaturday tl limit their role in hiringcity employees and that they should stay away from f McNutt, a St. Maries resident, has worked as a city manager fornearly a d Northwest. He has served as a citycouncil member in Payette and has beer forabout 19 years. McNutt said the role of city council members should be as policymakers a the administrative director ofthe city. The advice comes in the wake of the firing in February of formerMcCall Pc City Manager Gene Drabinski. City code says the city council must cast their vote on the firing ofdepartm members spent 12 hours discussing thematter before finally agreeing with [ "I thought we got some good information from him, and I'm hoping what w steps to prevent us from getting into trouble," council member Laura Scott s However, Scott said she was "less certain" about McNutt's proposal to limit department head hirings and firings. "This one gives me pause because I like to know what's going on and to V decisions," she said. Hiring and Firing Ability McNutt proposed streamlining the council's involvement in hiring. He also council's involvement in city employee firings to acting only if they suspecte someone for "unprofessional or unsubstantiated reasons." "Any McCall city manager or future candidate for city manager will find the principle of the manager's freedom to choose and supervise his employees decision to apply for and function in this position," McNutt said. Other suggestions included strengthening the role of the city attorney as e about hiring and firing employees. In the long term, McNutt recommends that firings would not require city cc confirmation, citing the danger of "politics in personnel." "In my opinion, McCall's convoluted process for removals flies in the face said. 1 recommend eliminating the city code sections that require it." McNutt also recommended hiring department heads through contracts the expectations for the position and conditions for "no cause" firings. Flaw in City Law The presentation revealed that McCall's current law does not give departr hire and fire employees, a problem that Scott said needs to be addressed q Many of the practices by the council have come through inherited behavic understanding of the law, council member Jackie Aymon said. "History has set the precedent," Aymon said. "We're basically novices anc done things the way they've always been done." http: / /www.mccallstarnews.com /pages / archive_ 2013 /04_25_13_webedition /Copy %20of%... 5/28/2013 This week's front page stories Page 5 of 6 Council members agreed with most of McNutt's suggested changes and f incorporated by the end of the year. One suggestion is to make a manual for current and future city council me from rather than simply follow how things have been traditionally done. "There's a lot of knowledge in this current council," Scott said. "(Mayor Do wealth of information in his head. And if we can get any of that captured so to reinvent the wheel, that would be very helpful." McNutt also suggested the council establish a finance committee to help r budget. "This allows staff to explore conceptual ideas without the necessity of a fu time," he said. McCall airport may gain from aircraft registration fee hikes BY BRAD CARLSON for The Star -News The McCall airport stands to gain state improvement funds under two law: Legislature. Sixty -one small airports and backcountry landing strips in Idaho have a & from the estimated $153,500 annual net revenue increase that could be ger by the legislators and signed by Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter. The laws eliminated the $6 per year state licensing fee paid by private pil( registration fees. The McCall airport would benefit from the new fee structure even though i qualify for federal grants, like McCall, interim airport manager Dennis Coyle "It definitely has a positive effect, directly and indirectly," Coyle said. The airport remains part of a statewide airport system made healthier witr he said. McCall plans to apply for a federal grant after buying land to replace a tax have deemed too close to the runway. Grant - eligible airports have encountered greater challenges in getting funs of a higher dollar -match requirement, Coyle said. The new fees, which take effect July 1, mean the Idaho Division of Aerom funds to distribute to fund research and rescue programs, pilot safety progn Payette city administrator Mary Cordova also welcomed the additional fur "It's a competitive environment with other small communities in the state," Payette's city airport has worked closely with the state to fund improveme parallel taxiways and runway paving overlays. Some projects in Payette ha) years. "These investments are vital to the economic development of our small aii http: / /www.mccallstarnews.com /pages / archive_ 2013 /04_25_13_webcdition /Copy %20o1 %... 5/28/2013 Star -News News Page_Lead Story Lead Story LEAD STORY — EDITION OF THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013 Main News Opinion Arts /Events Outdoors /Rec Sports /Schools Of Record Public Lands Groups Info Desk Announcements Public Notices Current Edition Page 1 of 3 SI 1I.3 McCall makes bear -proof trash cans mandatory Residents must use containers even if they don't get pickups "7 think this would help address the bear proof issues, and it 's not a big pr – Marcia Witte BY KENDEL MURRANT For The Star -News All residents of McCall will be required to rent bear -proof trash containers, whether or not they sub: McCall City Council voted last week. Council members voted 4 -1 to require the bear -proof containers in a separate action from a new contract also approved with Lakeshore Disposal. The carts will cost between $5.10 and $5.50 a month depending on the size. Mayor Don Bailey and council members Marcia Witte, Jackie Aymon, and Nic Swanson voted in favor of requiring the containers, while council member Laura Scott voted against. Lakeshore Disposal will be put in charge of distributing the carts to households in the city as well as the monthly billing. Lakeshore will use the city's list of water and sewer customers to track the users. However, Lakeshore will not collect trash in the carts unless residents subscribe to the voluntary trash service also approved last week. Those without pickup service can legally dispose of their trash at the Valley County transfer station north of Donnelly. Residents must rent bear -proof carts from Lakeshore after July 1 even if they now own bear -proof carts or otherwise secure their trash, according to the ordinance. Residents cannot buy a cart from Lakeshore, costing about $200, but must rent. Penalties for Refusal McCall City :Manage proof trash containe .July 1. Those who refuse a cart or who do not pay for a cart can be charged with a misdemeanor carrying in jail. However, McCall Police Department Acting Chief Larry Stokes said he sees education as the first "I'm not going to go off the bat and start issuing citations," Stokes said. "You have to do education step. Most people want to comply with the law." The lids of Lakeshore's bear -proof containers are held down by a latch that can only be opened wh placed where a bear cannot reach it. Sample bins are on display at the main entrance of McCall City Hall. The mandate was proposed by Witte, who said it was a way to help solve the presense of trash -m< pickup. She noted Aymon's concern that some residents are fearful of walking outside in the summer wher http: / /ww w.mccal I starnews.com /pages /archi ve_2013 /05_02_ 13_webedition /Copy %20ot %201ead _page.php 5/28/2013 Star -News News Page_Lcad Story Page 2 of 3 "If we've gotten to that point, then we do need to do something," Witte said. "I think this would help not a big price to pay." She noted the mandate is not part of the 10 -year contract approved last week by the city. "If it's just in an ordinance, then a future council can change it," Witte said. Bailey wondered why those who do not subscribe to pickup service need bear -proof containers. "If they don't have trash service, why can't they get any bear -proof container they want?" he said. Mandatory cart rental from Lakeshore could help avoid time - consuming enforcement, McCall Comi Groenevelt said. "The police would have to spend time going door to door trying to enforce what 'bear proof is and Buy, Not Rent Scott and Swanson pushed for the ability to purchase carts rather than only rent them. "As long as this (law) is in effect, that's how long people have to pay," Swanson said. "It's cheaper to buy a $200 cart now than pay $5 a month for the next 30 years," he said. But city and Lakeshore staff said the amount of work required to regulate or enforce those options "As soon as people have to buy their own (carts) from craigslist or eBay or whatever, we're back to avoid," City Manager Gene Drabinski said. Lakeshore could not provide insurance for purchased carts if they broke or were stolen, said Evere Arter also said keeping a large enough inventory for purchase could be too expensive for his comp "I feel like it's trash, and it stinks," Swanson said. "I think most compromises do stink for everybody McCall trash customers get options for collection Lakeshore contract offers bi- weekly, monthly pickup 13Y KI`,NDEL MURRANT For The Star -News Customers of Lakeshore Disposal in McCall will have more options for trash pickup starting July 1. The McCall City Council last week approved its own 10 -year contract with Lakeshore. The contract Valley County that covers customers in the city. The current contract only offers weekly or on -call pickup, while the new contracts adds bi- weekly of The new contract will not include curbside recycling, but the county recycling station on Deinhard L residents. The city council explored curbside recycling, but decided it was too expensive. Bear -proof cart rental will be mandatory beginning July 1 under a separate law passed last week b,. service will remain optional. Trash collection options will range in price from $9.60 to $15.50 a month, depending on the size of Residents can also choose an on -call service, where no regular service is scheduled, but subscribe one -time pickup. That option will cost $7 per pickup. On -call service still requires a monthly cart rental fee, which ranges from $5.10 to $5.50 depending Lakeshore will be responsible for all billing and collection under the new contract. Prices can be adjusted annually for inflation or if Lakeshore can show its operating costs have incrf approved by the city council. McCall has 2,200 households that will be receiving bear -proof containers by July 1, said Everette P Disposal. City staff members plan to host an open house to help educate the public about how the bear proo appropriate for them. http: / /www.mccallstarnews.com /pages / archive _2013 /05_02 13_webedition /Copy %20o1 %201ead _page.php 5/28/2013 Page 3 of 3 New trash collection prices for McCall listed Here are the prices to be charged July 1 under a contract approved last week by the McCall City C The rates will apply only for customers within the McCall city limits. Collection service will be voluntary, but all McCall residents will be required to have a bear -proof tri Prices shown are cost per month and include the rental cost of the bear -proof containers. Weekly trash collection 96- gallon cart: $15.50 65- gallon cart: $15.20 32- gallon cart: $15.10 Bi- weekly trash collection 96- gallon cart: $11.75 65- gallon cart: $11.45 32- gallon cart: $11.35 Monthly trash collection 96- gallon cart: $10.00 65- gallon cart: $9.70 32- gallon cart: $9.60 On -call trash collection With 96- gallon cart: $5.50 cart rental plus $7 per request for pickup With 65- gallon cart: $5.20 cart rental plus $7 per request for pickup With 32- gallon cart: $5.10 cart rental plus $7 per request for pickup Customers can suspend their service for up to six months a year for $4 a month, which covers the Under the current contract with Valley County, Lakeshore charges customers in McCall $12.54 a rr cans, $14.98 a month if they rent a 96- gallon green Lakeshore container, and $23.52 a month if they container. The current contract only offers weekly pickups or on -call pickup. © Copyright 2009 -2013 Central Idaho Publishing Inc. • All rights i hitp:/hvww.m ccal Istarnews.com /pages /arch i ve_2013 /05_02_ 13_webediti on /Copy %20o1 %201ead_page.php 5/28/2013 Star -News News Page_l,ead Story Page 1 of 2 Lead Story LEAD STORY — EDITION OF THURSDAY, MAY 9, 2013 Main News Opinion Arts /Events Summers lawsuit claims bribery, retaliation Outdoors /Rec Sports /Schools Of Record Former police chief wants his job back plus damages Public Lands Groups "Mr. Summers' professional reputation has been adversely impacted, and it has foreclosed ot Info Desk Lawsuit Announcements Public Notices BY KENDEL MURRANT Current Edition For The Star -News Former McCall Police Chief Jerry Summers has accused City Manager Gene Drabinski of bribery a driver's license. The claims were made in a wrongful termination lawsuit filed in federal court in Boise against Drabi City Council, and the city of McCall. Summers wants a jury to give him his job back plus pay him damages for past and future income h The lawsuit follows the council's vote on April 11 to uphold Drabinski's decision two months earlier chief since 2005. No date has been set for trial in the case, which will be heard in U.S. District Court. The lawsuit repeats claims made after Summers' firing by his attorney, Matt Williams of Cascade, t of retaliation. "As a result of (Drabinski and the council)'s wrongful conduct, Mr. Summers' professional reputatio has foreclosed other employment opportunities within his chosen profession," the lawsuit said. Summers, 54, had "never received a negative employment evaluation" and had a reputable track n Department, the lawsuit said. $50 'Bribe' Offered The lawsuit claims that Drabinski offered Summers what the lawsuit called a "bribe" of $50 to apolc Bolen. Drabinski told Summers that he had met with Bolen, who said she "didn't want to work with (Summ rocky relationship with Bolen "limited his future chances of advancement within the City of McCall," tt Summers had conducted a criminal investigation against Bolen and other Valley County sheriffs of juvenile. No charges were brought. Summers did meet with and apologize to Bolen, but did not accept any money from Drabinski, accc The lawsuit also claims Drabinski had been driving in Idaho while having a revoked driver's license had formerly lived. Summers warned Drabinski multiple times that it was illegal for him to be driving in Idaho until the i was resolved, but that Drabinski continued to drive, according to the lawsuit. Summers said another MPD officer wanted to arrest Drabinski in his McCall City Hall office for the saying that he feared the arrest "would accelerate ( Drabinski's) retaliation ... and terminate (SUMME Another basis for the retaliation was Summers' vocal supported Carol Brockmann, deputy prosecul city manager position, the lawsuit stated. Brockmann and Drabinski were the two finalists for the job, November. http: / /www.niccallstarnews.com/ pages /archive_2013 /05 09_13_webedition /Cop),%20o1` %2olead _page.php 5/28/2013 Star -News News Page_Lead Story Page 2 of 2 Drabinski said he could not respond to the details of the lawsuit, but restated that he stands behind "I can't comment specifically on the allegations, but I can't help but be reminded of the child who cc report card and says that it's the teacher's fault," Drabinski said. Others Contacted The lawsuit stated Summers approached McCall Human Resources Manager Barbara Sivey multir of him, but that nothing was done. Sivey declined a request to comment to The Star -News about the claim. Summers also stated that he spoke with council member Laura Scott twice before he was fired, de declined to comment to The Star -News about those conversations. The city is insured against lawsuits such as the one filed by Summers by the Idaho Counties Risk P ICRMP Executive Director Rick Ferguson declined to comment specifically on the Summers lawsui defending the lawsuit is included as part of the city's insurance premiums. Excerpts from Summers Lawsuit Here are excerpts from the lawsuit filed in federal court by former McCall Police Chief Jerry Summ( In a meeting regarding some of the results of a survey put out to the public by Mr. Drabinski regard Drabinski squared off with Mr. Summers and moved in an aggressive and threatening manner towan The aggressive and threatening move was enough to cause members of the McCall Police Departi to the McCall Human Resources Manager, Barbara Sivey. Mr. Drabinski told Mr. Summers that he had tried to fire him when he was the interim city manager. could "get on the bus or be left behind. " Mr. Drabinski said, "the bus is going this direction, you can b Mr. Drabinski refused to tell Mr. Summers what he would have to do to "get on the bus" even thous times during multiple meetings. Mr. Summers continued to do everything Mr. Drabinski asked him to Drabinski he was "on the bus," even when those actions were detrimental to the functioning of the M © Copyright 2009 -2013 Central Idaho Publishing Inc. • All rights i http: / /www.mccal]starnews.com /pages /archive 2013/05_09. 13_webedition /Copy %20of `20lcad _page.php 5/28/2013 Star -News News Page_Lcad Story Lead Story LEAD STORY — EDITION OF THURSDAY, MAY 16, 2013 Main News Opinion Arts /Events Outdoors /Rec Sports /Schools Of Record Public Lands Groups Info Desk Announcements Public Notices Current Edition Page I of 2 McCall mayor switches sides on bear -proof trash cans Don Bailev said he did not understand mandate passed last month " if there is no trash collection, they shouldn't have a collection device. " BY KENDEL MURRANt For The Star -News McCall Mayor Don Bailey said Friday he wants to undo the just - passed, citywide mandate on bear - understand the law. Bailey surprised his fellow council members at a work session on unrelated topics by saying he tho on April 25 only applied to residents who keep their trash outside. "It's my fault. I didn't read this silly thing, I didn't comprehend the impact of it, and I apologize," Bail Bailey said he wanted a proposed amendment he wrote considered at the council's next meeting n the citywide cart mandate, but makes bear -proof trash cans mandatory for Lakeshore Disposal subci The move received support from Nic Swanson, who previously voted in favor of the mandate on beat Bailey hinted at his misunderstanding of the law last Thursday while listening to complaints by resi( scheduled to take effect July 1. Bailey told protesters that he thought the law only made bear -proof trash containers mandatory for "You can take your trash to Boise, you can take it to the dump yourself, as long as you don't have Thursday. Council members Jackie Aymon and Marcia Witte quickly corrected Bailey, noting that the new law mandatory for all residences. "It was my impression we didn't set it up that way. I'm gonna have to check," Bailey said. Mirror Language Bailey wants to scale back the mandate to only require bear -proof containers by anyone who signs Lakeshore, the city's contract trash collector. The proposal would mirror the language in the city's 10 -year trash collection contract with Lakesho Bailey also wants to make it illegal for people to keep their trash outside unless it is in a secure con "If there is no trash collection, they shouldn't have a collection device, and that's my concern," Bail( Witte noted that Bailey was on the losing side of an earlier council vote that would have made trast majority of the council opted for voluntary service. She asked Bailey why he had changed his mind. "I didn't change my mind; you changed it," Bailey said, referring to the split vote. "I don't understan( have mandatory collection, so why have mandatory bear -proof containers?' "It was an attempt at a compromise," Witte said. Swanson said he wants to see changes to specify how enforcement will work. "If there is a problem, people have to be fined and forced into compliance," he said. http: / /wwNv.mccallstarnews.com /pages /archive 2013 /05_16_13_webedition /Copy %20ot %201ead_page.php 5/28/2013 Star -News News Page_I,ead Story Page 2 of 2 Lakeshore local manager Everett Arter said on Monday that he had not heard about Bailey's propo Lakeshore had placed an order for bear -proof carts for the entire city two weeks ago, but Arter can heard there was opposition to the new law among residents. I residents slam bear -proof container mandate Monday forum to explain details of new trash collection laws 1 understand it is a problem for some people, but to force it on all of us would be m 13Y KF.NDEL MURRANT for The Star -News Alana Shoemaker said she would rather go to jail than accept a bear -proof trash container on her F "I personally won't sign for (a cart), and I won't have it on my property," Shoemaker told the McCall go to jail, I go to jail. I'm that set against this mandate." Shoemaker and seven other polite but resolute residents spoke to the council during the open com each meeting. All were opposed to the mandate of bear -proof containers, regardless of pickup service, that the cc scheduled to take effect July 1. In response, the city scheduled a public forum on the topic to begin at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the D. i McCall- Donnelly High School on Mission Street. During the forum, McCall City Manager Gene Drabinski will review the recent history of trash collet Also, a representative of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game will review the problem of bears A public comment period will follow, with comments limited to three minutes for each speaker. Unfair Fee The majority of those who spoke last Thursday stated that is was unfair for the council to impose a their trash disposal are not contributing to McCall's bear problem. "We have a few people that don't know how to take care of their garbage, and now the masses are Pedersen said. "I feel like it's a bad deal, like taxation without representation." "I'm strongly against paying for something that I don't need," Debra Staup said. "I understand it is a it on all of us would be wrong." Rick Fereday said he thought the law discouraged residents from using other options like recycling Jim Staup said he felt the mandate was a "sneaky" way for the council to pave the way for mandate "So it's not that far of a stretch to say now that everyone is forced to have a container, everyone ne Property manager Dennis Stewart said that the fee will hurt the bottom line of his business. Weeke leave their garbage in their garages, then he hauls it to the dump. "They don't make a whole lot of trash, they spend a lot of money in our restaurants, and they have aren't even going to use it. That's baloney." "It goes back to being responsible for your own stuff, and those who are at fault should have to pay Shoemaker said she felt strongly enough about the issue that she canceled her 30 -year subscriptic Shoemaker also set out petition at local stores asking that the law not be implemented unless it is The petition had about 230 signatures between the three locations by Tuesday. The bear -proof carts would cost between $5.10 and $5.50 a month to rent depending on their size. © Copyright 2009 -2013 Central Idaho Publishing Inc. • All rights i http: / /www.mccallstarnews .com /pages / archive _2013 /05_16_13_webedition /Copy %2Oot %201ead _page.php 5/28/2013 This week's front page stories Mandatory bear -proof trash cans draw little support Council to take up change in requirement tonight "I think we have a minor problem, and I think we can work through these problems. " —Jim Staup BY KENDEL MURRANT For The Star -News None of the nine people who spoke before the McCall City Council Monday night endorsed a citywide mandate on bear -proof trash containers scheduled to take effect July 1. About 60 people attended a special meeting of the McCall City Council at the D.A. MacNichol Building next to McCall - BOOM! Donnelly High School that was called to take comment on the pending changes. Mayor Don Bailey told the crowd that an amendment • l would be presented to the council tonight that would lift the mandate for all McCall residents to rent bear -proof trash cans from Lakeshore Disposal. # The amendment, first proposed by Bailey on May 10, a.rm n :es.. bxme. r would instead only require those who voluntarily subscribe to McCall Police DeparTmevtoft rcesmfullasmuit Lakeshore's service to use a bear -proof cart. gem stage themsdwsatauabandouedhmaeon Past Street M all Taesdav aftevocu The aerion was part of a drill on Usn4 expionves t0 The change also would also require residents who are not euterabmldmgcouductedby the CaldwellPolice Lakeshore customers but who store their trash outside to Departarents tactical respouseteam Thateeu McCall officers attended the day-long comw, keep d in a bear-proof container of their own choosin g durvrg winch offices set off multiple enplenow at the house The council's meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. tonight at McCall City Hall. Speakers Against Mandate Those who spoke at the meeting asked the council to hold lawbreakers accountable and to take incremental steps before enforcing a citywide mandate. "I hope, then, that you reconsider the mandatory part. That's what concerned me greatly," McCall resident Debra Staup told the council. "I see positive things happening on a voluntary basis, and I honestly think that if we do it on the (voluntary) service thing, it's going to make a big impact," Alana Shoemaker said. "And if d doesn't, then you can revisit lt." "We're treating this like it's a severe epidemic," McCall resident Jim Staup said. "I think we have a minor problem, and I think we can work through these problems." But some argued that unless the bear -proof carts were made mandatory, the problem will not go away. "You don't make laws for the majority, but for the exception, because the exceptions won't do it unless you make it a law," resident Gail Bray said. Council member Jackie Aymon agreed with that line of reason. "Did you feel safer when you were required (by law) to put your child in a child seat ?" Aymon said. 'Do you feel punished when you have to click that seat belt or when you have to have a designated driver?" "Public safety isn't for all of you who do the right thing," she said. "It's for the people who don't get A." Purchase Option Residents also asked the council to look into the option of being able to purchase carts rather than having to rent them from Lakeshore. Although there are potential benefits with renting a cart, like free replacement for carts that are damaged or stolen, people should still have the choice, resident Dave Mathis said. "At least let us have the option and take our chances," Mathis said. Bailey pointed out that the previous law still required all residents who stored their trash outside to do so in "animal proof containers" "We've had that on the books since 1994. This isn't a new requirement," he said. Bill Thomas, a resident of the Woodlands in McCall, said he approved of Lakeshore only making bear - proof carts available to its customers. "Some have said, 'I manage my (garbage) OK,' but the problem is that if someone doesn't, it affects all of us," Thomas said. Pagel of 2 http:// www. mccallstamews.com/pages/archive 2013/05 23_13 webedition/Copy %20oi%... 5/ /2013 This week's front page stories Lakeshore site manager Everett Arter discouraged a purchase option, saying he feared theft could become an issue. If a rented cart is stolen or damaged, Lakeshore is obligated to replace it, but not so with a purchased cart, Arter said. Five bear -proof carts have been stolen in the county in the last 10 months, he said. Page 2 of 2 http:// www. mccallstamews .comlpageslarchive_2013 /05_23_13 webeditionICopy %2Oof%... 5/30/2013 Star -News News Page Lead Story McCall starts to reverse bear -proof mandate Both amendments to be reviewed at June 13 council meeting BY KENDEL MURRANT For The Star -News Two members of the McCall City Council last week took the first step to reverse a city law to require bear -proof trash containers at every McCall home starting July 1. McCall Mayor Don Bailey and McCall Council member Nic Swanson submitted amendments to the law the council passed on April 25. The amendments remove the citywide mandate, but still require Lakeshore Disposal subscribers to use bear -proof trash carts with their service. The amendments are scheduled to be formally reviewed at the councirs next regular meeting, set to start at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, June 13, at McCall City Hall. Both of the proposed amendments would make it illegal for McCall residents to store garbage outside unless it is in a bear -proof container or in an "enclosed structure." That requirement would apply to all city residents, whether or not they have a trash pickup subscription with Lakeshore. Bailey's amendment would go one step further and would require anyone who does not have a subscription with Lakeshore to "provide for the proper disposal (of trash) from their property." Swanson's amendment would allow Lakeshore subscribers to purchase a bear -proof cart rather than rent one. The cart would have to be the same make and model as the carts provided by Lakeshore, but does not have to be purchased from Lakeshore, according to Swanson's proposed amendment. The carts used by Lakeshore cost about $250 each. Cart rental costs will very from $5.50 to $5.10 a month for McCall residents starting July 1. An Interference The proposed purchase option led council member Jackie Aymon to question whether the city should interfere with how Lakeshore does its business. "Personally, I don't think we should tell Lakeshore that they have to sell their carts," Aymon said during last Thursday's regular council meeting. "If their business model is to rent, then let them." The purchase option could affect Lakeshore's prices since the company's new 10 -year contract with the city specifically states subscribers must rent carts, Everette Arter of Lakeshore told council members. "I think this really changes the contract," Arter said. The proposed amendments are a step in the right direction, as they "put teeth in enforcing the law," Idaho Department of Fish and Game wildlife manager Jeff Rohlman said. McCall City Manager Gene Drabinski said he believes that the guidelines laid out in the proposed amendments will make enforcement possible. "If the situation was everybody has to have a bear -proof container, that's problematic because we'd have to do trash can checks," Drabinski said. "On the other hand, if we're looking for people throwing trash outside in a non - bear -proof container, that's a better scope," he said. http://www.mccallstamews.com/pages/lead_page.php Page 1 of 1 5/30/2013 This week's front page stories Page 1 of 1 McCall mayor says he made error, improperly added agenda item BY KENDEL NIURRANT For The Star-News McCall Mayor Don Bailey has admitted to an open - meeting law violation that resulted in an action taken at a McCall City Council workshop to be nullified At last Thursday's McCall City Council meeting, Bailey said he "goofed up" at the May 10 workshop when he improperly added an item to the councils meeting agenda. "When I moved to amend the agenda, I left out two important parts: the reason for amending the agenda and why it had to be amended at that time, even though A was perfectly clear why those had to be done by the end of the meeting," Bailey said. Under the Idaho Open Meeting Law, meeting agendas of public bodies cannot be changed once they are officially posted unless a "good -faith reason" is given for making a last- minute addition. Minutes from the May 10 meeting show that Bailey did not disclose to council members at the beginning of the meeting what the added item was about, nor did he say anything about a good faith effort to add the item to the agenda earlier. About 90 minutes into that meeting, Bailey presented an amendment to the mandatory bear -proof trash cart law, which had been passed by council on April 25. Bailey's amendment proposed to undo the law's mandate for citywide bear -proof trash cart rental from Lakeshore Disposal. Bailey read his proposed amendment aloud for the council and asked for it to be added to the next council meeting's agenda for further discussion. Bailey said at the May 10 meeting that he had written the amendment after the previous night's city council meeting, at which time multiple residents complained about the law. McCall City Clerk BessieJo Wagner, who did not attend the May 10 meeting, said that the error was caused by inexperience. "I think the intention was to do it correctly, but (Bailey) didn't have the guidance to help him do that," Wagner said. Wagner listened to an audio recording of the meeting the next week and alerted McCall city attorney Bill Nichols, who said he thought the open law meeting law had been violated_ The council last Thursday voted unanimously to void the action taken at the May 10 meeting as outlined by the state open meeting law. Wagner said this is the first time that she knows of that the city has accused itself of an open- meeting law violation. Bailey's latest proposed amendment to the bear -proof cart law was legally placed on last Thursday's city council agenda. It is scheduled to be considered by the council on June 13, along with another amendment to the same law composed by council member Nic Swanson. http: / /www.mccallstamews.com /pages /fp_stories _page.php 5/30/2013 This week's front page stories Page 1 of 1 McCall kicks off search for new chief of police Advertisement says next chief expected to have 'no surprises' BY KENDEL MURRANT For The Star -News McCall has launched its search for a new police chief to replace former Chief Jerry Summers, who was fired in February. An advertisement for the position was posted on the city's websRe Friday and will be open to applicants through July 29. The advertisement also has been distributed to the state police academy, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and Policeone.com, a website for police officers. A screening process is expected to produce a new chief who can go to work in November, according to the advertisement. The advertisement was created by a task force consisting of sworn and non -sworn police personnel, City Manager Gene Drabinski, and Human Resources Director Barbara Sivey. The starting wage was set at $68,182 a year, plus benefits such as health, dental, vision and life insurance, vacation and sick time off, and a retirement fund. Summers was being paid $87,600 per year at the time he was fired. The city is looking for someone to "set the tone" for the police department "by conducting all personal and professional interactions openly, honestly and ethically," the advertisement said. The next chief will also be expected to "foster a collaborative, creative and respectful work force," and will "embrace a 'no surprises' approach and a complete openness on City business and issues," the advertisement said. Those applying must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in a related field and seven years' experience in law enforcement including three years' experience at the rank of sergeant or higher in a department that "has afforded progressively responsible experience in a variety of police functions," the advertisement said. Task Force After the closing date, the applications will be reviewed by a task force made up of seven current police officers and Drabinski. After the first round of screening, the task force will be expanded to include retired and active law enforcement leaders to conduct interviews with semi - finalists in person, by telephone or over video link. The expanded panel will select a group of finalists who will be invited to McCall to meet community members and city staffers. Members of the McCall City Council will not be formally invited into this part of the process but may choose to take part informally, Drabinski said. The review panel will interview the finalists and make a recommendation to Drabinski, who will select his preferred finalist. A McCall officer will then be sent to the community where the prospective chief is now working to gather background, Drabinski said. The selected applicant will then be presented to the council for an interview and confirmation of Drabinski's appointment. Summers was fired by Drabinksi on Feb. 15 after the two clashed over management of the police department. The McCall City Council confirmed the firing on April 11. Summers has filed a lawsuit against the city claiming his firing was retaliation by Drabinksi. http: / /www.mccallstamews .com/pages /fp_stories _page.php 7/3/2013 Star -News News Page_Lead Story Page 1 of l McCall extends deadline for police chief applications Six applications received by Monday deadline BY TOM GROTE The Star-News A new deadline of Aug. 12 has been set for applicants for McCall's police chief after only six applicants had said they were interested in the job by Monday's original deadline. The extension is needed because of the complexity of the documents required by the city for the job, City Manager Gene Drabinksi said. "The application process involves a very comprehensive set of documents," Drabinski said. "Even those applicants who saw the notice early have some holes in their documentation." Drabinksi could not provide a complete list of the applications so far, but said they were submitted from Alaska, Illinois and Texas. The application notice distributed by the city in late June asks applicants to fill out an 18 -page personal history statement and a 15 -page application in addition to submitting a cover letter and an optional resume of professional experience and education. Whoever is selected will replace former Chief Jerry Summers, who was fired in February. A screening process is expected to produce a new chief who can go to work in November, according to the advertisement. The starting wage has been set at $68,182 a year, plus benefits. Those applying must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in a related field and seven years' experience in law enforcement including three years' experience at the rank of sergeant or higher. Review Task Force After the closing date, the applications will be reviewed by a task force made up of seven current police officers and Drabinski. After the first round of screening, the task force will be expanded to include retired and active law enforcement leaders to conduct interviews with semi - finalists in person, by telephone or over video link. The expanded panel will select a group of finalists who will be invited to McCall to meet community members and city staffers. The review panel will interview the finalists and make a recommendation to Drabinski, who will select his preferred finalist. A McCall officer will then be sent to the community where the prospective chief is now working to gather background. The selected applicant will then be presented to the council for an interview and confirmation of Drabinski's appointment. Summers was fired by Drabinksi on Feb. 15 after the two clashed over management of the police department. The McCall City Council confirmed the firing on April 11. Summers has filed a lawsuit against the city claiming his firing was retaliation by Drabinksi. http: / /www.mccallstamews .com/pages/lead _page.php 8/1/2013 This week's front page stories Page 1 of 1 Summers trial against McCall set for October 2014 Former police chiefclaims he was unjustly fired BY TOM GROTE The Star -News It will be 15 months before former McCall Police Chief Jerry Summers will have his day in court against his former employers. A jury trial on the claims by Summers has been set for Oct. 21, 2014, in U.S. District Court in Boise. Before then, a variety of tasks need to be performed, including a possible settlement as early as January. Summer filed the lawsuit in April against McCall City Manager Gene Drabinski and all five members of the McCall City Council. Summers wants a jury to give him his job back plus pay him damages for past and future income he would have earned as a police chief. The lawsuit followed the council's vote on April 11 to uphold Drabinski's decision two months earlier to fire Summers, who had been police chief since 2005. The lawsuit claims Drabinski fired Summers as an act of retaliation, and city council members upheld the firing because they said Summers and Drabinski could not work together. Even though the trial is more than a year away, several deadlines have been set by the court. Summers is expected to produce the expected testimony of any expert witnesses by Sept. 12, and the city is expected to do the some by Oct. 12. The court documents order a meeting by both sides with U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald E. Bush no later than Jan. 24, 2014, to see if the case can be settled without the need for a trial. If that effort fails, then depositions and other evidence must be filed by March 26, 2014, and all pre- trial motions must be filed by April 24, 2014. Four days have been set aside for the trial, http:// www. mccallstamews .com/pages /fp_stories _page.php 8/1/2013 This week's front page stories Page 1 of 2 McCall police chief applications stay at six; screening begins BY TOM GROTE The Stu -News No new applications for McCall police chief were received after a two-week extension of the deadline, McCall City Manager Gene Drabinski said on Tuesday. Monday was the new deadline for applications, an extension over the original July 29 deadline to find a person to replace fired former chief Jerry Summers. Drabinski extended the deadline after thinking applicants needed more time to complete the extensive number of forms requested by the city. He declined to release any information on the applications, saying they were confidential personnel files. He previously said three of the applicants were from Alaska, Illinois and Texas. An internal task force of the police department has reviewed five of the applications and none were eliminated, Drabinski said. 'We will make our first cut and then schedule Skype interviews, with an expanded review panel, as soon as possible,' he said. A screening process is expected to produce a new chief who can go to work in November, according to the city's job advertisement. The starting wage has been set at $68,182 a year, plus benefits. Those applying must have a minimum of a bachelor's degree in a related field and seven years' experience in law enforcement including three years' experience at the rank of sergeant or higher. The expanded panel will select finalists who will be invited to McCall to meet community members and city staffers. The review panel will interview the finalists and make a recommendation to Drabinski, who will select his preferred finalist. A McCall officer will then be sent to the community where the prospective chief is now working to gather background. The selected applicant will then be presented to the council for an interview and confirmation of Drabinski's appointment. Summers was fired by Drabinksi on Feb. 15 after the two clashed over management of the police department. The McCall City Council confirmed the firing on April 11. Summers has filed a lawsuit against the city claiming his firing was retaliation by Drabinksi. Summers is now working as an insurance salesman in the local area as well as elsewhere in Idaho, according to his attorney, Matt Williams of Cascade. Back To Index /Menu New survey underway of McCall Police Department BY TOM GROTE The Star -News A new survey has been launched about the public's perception of the McCall Police Department. A letter was sent out this week with 2,600 city water bills inviting those who live in the city or own property in the city to take the online survey. The survey will then be opened to the general public on Aug. 29 and run through Sept. 12. Survey results will be posted by Oct. 10. The intent of the survey is to "give us a current 'pulse check' on how we are doing," Interim Chief of Police Larry Stokes said in the letter to water customers. "Your input will assist us in planning future priorities and programs ... (and) improve our delivery of police services," Stokes said. The survey comes nearly a year after a similar online survey of the police department was conducted in September 2012. "We want to know how we are doing and want to see if our efforts are paying off," Det. Andrew Fisher, who drafted the new survey, said in a memo to the McCall City Council. A total 576 responses to the first survey gave the police department an overall approval rating of 5.87 out of 10, a number that city leaders agreed needed work. In addition to filling out the seven - question survey, 426 people - almost 74 percent - left additional comments specifically addressing additional topics like the number of traffic stops and officer behavior. The new survey has 35 questions. Examples are: • "How satisfied are you with current level of police presence in the community ?" "How satisfied are you with the crime prevention efforts by the McCall Police Department ?" • "Based on your experience, are traffic laws appropriately enforced by the McCall Police ?" http:// www. mccallstamews .com/pages /fp_stories_,page.php 8/15/2013 This week's front page stories Page 2 of 2 The survey also asks if the respondent has had contact with a McCall police officer or has been stopped for a traffic violation in the last year. Other questions ask if the officer acted professionally and treated the respondent "fairly and with respect." The new survey is worded to weed out responses about incidents that occurred years ago or involved other police agencies, Fisher said in his memo to the council. http:// www. mccallstarnews .com/pages /fp_stories _page.php 8/15/2013 Star -News News Page—Lead Story Page 1 of 1 New online survey posted for McCall Police Department BY TOM GROTE The Star -News For the second time in a year, the McCall Police Department is inviting the public to participate in an opinion survey on the department. "Citizen input will assist the department in planning future priorities and programs, obtain a 'pulse check' on the department's current performance and measure the department's current effectiveness," a statement from the police department said. The survey can be found at the city's website at www.mccali.id.us and will be open until Sept. 19. Last month, McCall utility customers were asked to take the survey so the department could get a feel for opinions of city residents and property owners. A total of 128 responses were received from that request. Results for both surveys will be posted by Oct. 10. The new survey comes nearly a year after a similar online survey of the police department was conducted in September 2012. A total 576 responses to the first survey gave the police department an overall approval rating of 5.87 out of 10, a number that city leaders agreed needed work. The new survey has 62 questions. Examples are: "How satisfied are you with current level of police presence in the community ?" "How satisfied are you with the crime prevention efforts by the McCall Police Department?" • "Based on your experience, are traffic laws appropriately enforced by the McCall Police ?" The survey also asks if the respondent has had contact with a McCall police officer or has been stopped for a traffic violation in the last year. Other questlons ask if the officer acted professionally and treated the respondent "fairly and with respect.' The new survey is worded to weed out responses about incidents that occurred years ago or involved other police agencies. 3' http:// www. mccallstarnews .com/pages/lead_page.php 9/0/2013 This week's front page stories Page 1 of 1 One finalist chosen for McCall police chief position BY TOM GROTF The Star-News One finalist has been chosen to fill the position of McCall police chief, McCall City Manager Gene Drabinksi said this week. The remaining semi - finalist will visit McCall today and will be interviewed in person by an internal city screening panel, Drabinski said. The two names still in the running have been narrowed from a field of nine who applied for the position. Six applications came in by the Aug. 12 deadline and three more applications were submitted late, he said. He declined to release any information on the applications, saying they were confidential personnel files. The screening process is expected to produce a new chief who can go to work in November, according to the city's job advertisement. The starting wage has been set at $68,182 a year plus benefits. The finalists will be invited to McCall to meet community members and city staffers. The review panel will interview the finalists and make a recommendation to Drabinski, who will select his preferred finalist. A McCall officer will then be sent to the community where the prospective chief is now working to gather background information. The selected applicant will then be presented to the council for an interview and confirmation of Drabinski's appointment. The new chief will replace former McCall Police Chief Jerry Summers, who was fired by Drabinksi in February after the two clashed over management of the police department. The McCall City Council confirmed the firing in April. Summers has filed a lawsuit against the city claiming his firing was retaliation by Drabinksi. He is now working as an insurance salesman. http:// www. mccallstamews .com/pages /fp_stories�age.php 9/19/2013 Star -News News Page Lead Story Texas university chief tapped as next McCall police chief Justin Williams is scheduled to visit city next week "Accountability... goes a long way in earning respect. No one is infallible" - Justin Williams BY TOM GROTE The StsnNewe The chief of a police force at a university in Texas has been selected to be the next chief of the McCall Police Department. Justin Williams has not yet been offered the job, but he is the only one of nine applicants to be invited to visit McCall next week. Williams, 41, is currently police chief at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, a position he has held since 2007. The university, located about 70 miles southwest of Ft. Worth, has about 11,000 students a ,Vdh» and staff. Williams oversees a department with 20 employees and a $1.5 million budget. Williams will visit McCall on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 10 -11, for interviews with a panel of selected citizens and a panels of current and retired law - enforcement officers. Williams will also tour the city and meet with police officers and other city employees. No public events are scheduled, McCall City Manager Gene Drabinski said. The city plans to make an offer of employment with conditions to Williams during his visit, Drabinski said. One of the conditions is to allow a McCall detective to visit Texas to check his background, he said. An internal task force identified the characteristics of the ideal chief, Drabinksi said. "They were looking for a leader they could trust and would be eager to follow," he said. "Chief Williams was an overwhelming favorite' Openness Essential In an interview, Williams said openness is essential to a successful police department. "If there is a problem, the department, starting with the chief, must acknowledge the issue and identify the steps which are being taken to correct the situation," he said. "Accountability in such cases goes a long way in earning respect. No one is infallible," Williams said. Williams graduated from Tarleton State with a degree in criminal justice and later went back to earn a master's degree in criminal justice. His first job was with the Arlington (Texas) Police Department, where he worked for more than 12 years. He served in investigations, special operations, and internal affairs, and was the youngest officer ever to be promoted to lieutenant. He and his wife, Chantell, have three sons. "After 12 years of living and working in Arlington, my wife and I began to question why we lived in the middle of a city filled with concrete," he said. 'The opportunity to return to my alma mater as chief was too good to be true." The McCall job is a chance to continue his professional growth while improving his family's quality of life, Williams said "Everything we do is centered on enjoying the natural beauty of the outdoors and what it has to offer," he said. Similarities Seen He sees similarities between McCall and Tarleton State. "Officers must always be prepared to take action but also be deft at the use of discretion," Williams said. "We mandate that officers always conduct themselves as professionals and treat the campus community like customers, not suspects," he said. Williams has a good reputation on campus and seems to be well - respected by the student body, said Dawn Skinner, edkor -in -chief of the campus newspaper JTAC News. If he is hired, Williams will replace former McCall Police Chief Jerry Summers, who was fired by Drabinksi in February after the two clashed over management of the police department. The McCall City Council confirmed the firing in April. Summers has a pending lawsuit against the city claiming his firing was retaliation by Drabinksi. He is now working as an insurance salesman. Page 1 of 1 http:// www. mccallstamews .com/pages/leadpage.php 10/3/2013 Star -News News Page_Announcements Two McCall police officers promoted to corporal Two McCall police officers have been promoted to the rank of patrol corporal. Detective Andrew Fisher and Officer Dallas Palmer assumed their new positions on Tuesday. As patrol corporals, Fisher and Palmer are responsible for directing patrol activities, field supervision and various supervisory and administrative duties such as scheduling and report approval. Fisher, a Colorado native, has worked for McCall police since 2008. He originally started with the city as a patrol officer and most recently was working as a detective. Fisher holds state police academy basic and intermediate certificates and is a handgun, rifle and shotgun firearms instructor. He is also a field training officer and the department's firearms instructor. at-NS IYob brt McCall police officers Dallas P,dmer, le@. and ,1 Avw Fisher have been prromoted to patrol Palmer joined the city in 2010 as a patrol officer. He is a capaals University of Idaho graduate with a degree in accounting. He holds state basic and intermediate certificates and is a field training officer. Page 1 of 1 http: / /www.mccallstamews.com/pages /announcements _page.php 10/3/2013 is week's front page stories Page 1 of 1 The survey gave the police department an average overal rating of 7.0 out of possible 10. That is a 19 percent gain over the rating of 5.86 that was given the department in a similar survey last fall. The survey drew 223 responses, which was 61 percent fewer responses than the 576 responses to the 2012 survey. The new survey was taken in stages, with Invitations sent in August in 2,600 city water bills for those living in the city or who own property in the city to take the online survey. That part of the survey drew 129 responses. The survey was then opened to the general public between Aug. 29 and Sept. 12 and drew 94 responses. "The police department and city leaders are pleased with the significant increase in the results and are proud of the department's hard work; a statement from the police department said. In both surveys, officers received high marks for their professionalism when officers had personal contact with the public, as well as high marks for resolving problems. Nearly 71 percent of respondents identified theft as the most important issue in the city, followed by drunk driving at 54 percent, illegal drugs at 52.1 percent, and minors drinking alcohol at 45.6 percent. The department has stepped up patrols in neighborhoods and pushed Neighborhood Watch and Business Watch programs, the statement said. Room for improvement can be found by officers better explaining their follow -up activities, answering questions, providing crime prevention suggestions and explaining criminal and civil processes, the department said. The new survey received 182 written comments, 57 percent decrease over the 426 written comments posted in the 2012 survey. Most of the new comments, all anonymous, were short answers drawn from a prepared list of responses asking for the respondent's view of the top police problem, but a few comments were longer. "There are too many officers 'lurking' and hiding as traps for drivers," one comment said. "Why do we have to live in fear of the police stopping us?" "I've had two traffic encounters in the past year (I was at fault both times) and the PD was professional, consistent and courteous," another comment said. "Keep up the good work." http:// www. mccallstarnews .com/pages /fp_stories _page.php 10/17/2013 This week's front page stories Page 1 of 1 Pick for McCall chief confident of deal Justin Williams visits town, meets with city employees BY TOM GROTE The Star -News The city of McCall's choice for the next chief of the McCall Police Department said Tuesday he is confident he will reach an agreement with the city. Justin Williams, currently police chief at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, visited McCall last Thursday and Friday. During his visit, he was interviewed by a panel of selected citizens and a panel of current and retired law- enforcement officers. Williams also toured the city and met with police officers and other city employees. No public events were held. "It was everything, if not more, than we could have imagined," said Williams, 41, of the visit by himself and his wife, Chantell. He admired the natural beauty of the McCall but was more impressed with the hospitality of people they met. ,.tby lVilhams to McCall last Fndac "As we walked along the street, people asked how our visit was going and if we were enjoying ourselves," Williams said. "One driver even took the time to roll down her window and tell me that she hoped I'd be the next chief of police.' As of Tuesday, negotiations between Williams and McCall City Manager Gene Drabinski on an employment contract were continuing, he said. "I am confident that a mutual agreement should be reached," Williams said. Drabinksi was unavailable for comment. Pay Cut Likely Williams currently earns $96,231 per year as campus police chief. The city advertised the chief's position at $68,182 a year plus benefits. "It's safe to say a significant cut in pay will be taken should I accept the offer, but, as I have said, money is not a driving factor in my family's decision; he said. Williams said he had been briefed on the results of the latest online survey of the police department where the overall approval rating was 7.0 out of a possible 10, a 19 percent increase over a similar survey conducted a year ago. "It once again emphasizes the need for active engagement with the community," Williams said. "The head of the police department must be willing to meet on a regular basis with the residents of McCall to discuss issues and concerns." Tarleton State University is located about 70 miles southwest of Ft. Worth. The university has about 11,000 students and staff. Williams oversees a department with 20 employees and a $1.6 million budget. Williams graduated from Tarleton State with a degree in criminal justice and later went back to earn a master's degree in criminal justice. His first job was with the Arlington (Texas) Police Department, where he worked for more than 12 years. He and Chantell have three sons. http: / /www.mccallstamews.com /pages /fp_stories _page.php 10/17/2013 us week's front page stories Page 1 of 1 Williams signs deal to become next McCall police chief Current Texas campus chief will earn $84,218 per year BY TOM GROTE The Stir -News Justin Williams has agreed to become the next chief of the McCall Police Department. Williams, currently police chief at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, has signed a conditional offer from the city that would pay him $84,218 per year. That wage is $12,000 less than the $96,231 per year that Williams earned as campus police chief but higher than the $68,182 minimum advertised by the city. a The agreement says the city will pay Williams, 41, up to $7,000 in moving expenses that I%db,,,w he must repay if he resigns within 18 months, City Manager Gene Drabinski said. Williams will start work on Jan. 6, and be eligible for raise in a year. As a department head, Williams is considered an "at will' employee, which means he can be fired at any time without cause. Williams visited McCall Oct. 10 -11 for interviews with review panels and to meet with city employees. No public receptions were held. The McCall City Council will be asked to ratify the hiring as soon as conditions of the offer had been met, Drabinksi said. One of those conditions is to allow a McCall detective to travel to Stephenville to investigate the background of Williams. That investigation will begin "right away,' Drabinksi said this week. Drabinski said he was prohibited by law from disclosing the other conditions of the agreement, and Williams declined to voluntarily release the agreement. "(My wife) Chantell and I are very excited about the opportunity we have been provided," Williams said in an e-mail after signing the conditional offer. Williams is well-qualified for a salary that is $16,000 above the advertised minimum, Drabinski said. "Chief Williams has a solid, 20 -year history of delivering desired outcomes," he said. "I am completely convinced that his value will widely exceed his cost, which is less than that of his predecessor." Williams will replace former chief Jerry Summers, who made $87,600 per year before he was fired by Drabinski in February. Summers has sued the city for wrongful termination. http:// www. mccallstamews .com/pages /fp_stories _page.php 10/24/2013 Williams sworn in as new McCall police chief Former Texas campus chief will formally take over Jan. 6 BY TOM GROTE The Star -News Justin Williams was sworn in last Thursday as the new chief of the McCall Police Department. Williams, formerly po- lice chief at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, was formally hired by the McCall City Council on a unanimous vote. Williams, 41, attendedthe council meeting with his wife, Chantell, and the cou- ple's three sons. Following the council's confirmation, he was sworn in by McCall City Clerk BessieJo Wagner with several police officers in attendance. The new chief will for- mally assume his new job on Jan. 6. City Manager Gene Drab - inski told the council that Williams was an "all -star player" who passed rigorous screening by an internaltask force of the police depart- ment as well as a citizens review committee. "The consensus ... was we found our guy and we didn't need to look any further," Drabinksi said. A McCall detective was sent to Stephenville to in- vestigate the background of Williams and received "nothing but rave reviews," Drabinksi said. "We're very excited about the possibilities and becom- ing active members of the community," Williams told council members. "We found exactly the fit that we need and I think the fit for the city as well," he said. Williams will earn $84,218 per year, or $12,000 less than the $96,231 per year that Williams earned as campus police chief but higher than the $68,182 minimum adver- tised by the city. He will be eligible for a raise in a year. The city will pay Williams up to $7,000 in moving ex- penses that he must repay if he resigns within 18 months. As a department head, Williams is considered an "at will" employee, which means he can be fired at any time without cause. Williams will replace for- mer chief Jerry Summers, who was fired by Drabinski in February. The city council upheld the firing, saying Drabinski and Summers could not work together. Summers has sued the city for wrongful termina- tion, and a trial has been set for October 2014. Detective Sgt. Larry Stokes has served as interim chief since Summers was fired. Star -News rnoto oy iuni -- New McCall Police Chief Justin Williams is sworn in last Thursday by McCall City Clerk BessieJo Wagner. Star-News News Page_ Lead Story Page 1 of 1 New McCall police chief must deal with violent crime during first week BY Toil GR(,)TF The Star -News Last Thursday night, McCall Police Chief Justin Williams told the McCall City Council that he was enjoying his first week on the job, making social calls to various police agencies. Twenty -four hours later, Williams found himself in the middle of a convention of police officers who responded to aid his department search for a suspect who robbed the ATM at Idaho First Bank and fired on two McCall officers. �1 Williams, 41, had been on the job only five days, but he quickly drew on his six years as police chief at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, and his 12 years with the .1usun. police department M Arlington, Texas, population 375,000. \l'ilha��.s His first thought were for Officers Adam Benjamin and Andrew Fisher, who confronted the robber and escaped uninjured when the suspect unlessed a hail of bullets at them from an assault rifle. "This is something that many people never go through their entire careers and never experience,' Williams said. The two officers were given paid leave for their next three shifts. They will were offered counseling and other support to deal with the effects of nearly being shot, he said. "They have done very well, but it takes a few days to set in," he said. "We will keep close tabs on them to make sure everything is right before they go back to duty' Close Look Williams worked in internal affairs in Arlington, so he knows the department must take a close look at the officers' actions last Friday night. "You have to ask the hard questions, and to be supportive but to be impartial," he said "To look into those people's eyes when they had come so close to dying or taking someone else's life, it is a difficult thing, but it is part of the job," Williams said. Williams praised the actions of the officers, especially Fisher, who decide not to fire on the suspect due to traffic on Colorado Street, where the two confronted each other. "Their level of professionalism and their restraint was very impressive," he said. Better Cooperation Williams sees opportunity in the incident to forge better cooperation among police agencies. Relations had been strained between the McCall Police Department and the Valley County Sheriffs Office under former Chief Jerry Summers. In 2012, Summer recommended that criminal charges be filed against Valley County Sheriff Patti Bolen, her chief deputy and a jail sergeant in connection with the handling of the suspect in a 2011 arson of the Cascade school. An independent prosecutor declined to file those charges. "Seeing all these different uniforms, all these different squad cars, come together instantaneously to work together to accomplish the same goal was a great sight," Williams said of the coordinated search for the suspect last Friday. "You couldn't write a better script to be introduced to other agencies to be able to show you are competent in a situation and willing to work with them," he said. hup:/h vw�v. mccallstamews .com/pages/lead _page.php 1/16/2414 ;coups _page.php � r s..n.+. ream errorocron MCCALL OFFICERS HONORED - McCall Police Chief Justin Williams, right, reads details of awards he is about to present to duce officers invoked in a J,an io incident in which an.ADI at Idaho First saint in McCall was robbed From left are Cpl :Andrew Fisher. Cpl. Dallas Palmer and Officer .Adam Beujmuni. The suspect fired an assault rifle at Fisher and Bewatim Asabhug their can but not irytuattg the officers, before escaping. Two men were later arrested in Utah and are awaiting trial in IVYO qg acttrsecl of a ahiug of ramdm'iundnts. Next to 41'dliams is AlcCall Maya Jacloe.Uwou who congratulated the officers dmvrg last lhu sdirkVs McCall City Council meeting Page I of I 3,6!2014 This week's front page stories McCall police to cite downtown parking violators The two -hour on- street parking limit in downtown McCall will be enforced, the McCall Police Department said. Warnings will be issued to violators through March 28 with citations carrying a $30 fine issued after that, Chief Justin Williams said. Signs posted downtown say on- street parking is limited to two hours between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. every day. "The purpose of time limits on public streets is to ensure that on- street parking spaces regularly become available for customers of downtown businesses and visitors to the area," Williams said. Five public parking lots within two blocks of the downtown core do not have time limits, he said. Business owners and their employees are especially encouraged not to violate the two-hour parking limit. For questions, call the police department at 634 -7144. (_stories _page.php Page I of I 3/13/2014 This week's front page stories Portland man seeks $500,000 in McCall police abuse claim Claim says officers acted illegally in take-down arrest BY TOM GROTE The Star-News A Portland, Ore., man is seeking $500,000 in damages from the city of McCall, saying he was illegally arrested by a McCall Police Department officer while staying at Shore Lodge earlier this year. John Soderberg, 53, filed the claim earlier this month with the city. Under state law, anyone who seeks damages from the city must file a claim before they can file a lawsuit. Soderberg claims Cpl. Dallas Palmer illegally entered his motel room on Feb. 1 •^ ,f " and struck him several times before arresting him on charges of resisting an officer and frequenting a place where illegal drugs were used. John Soderberg, left, Palmer, who has worked for the department since 2010, was called to Shore and Dallas Pahner Lodge about 2:20 a.m. on a report of someone disturbing the peace. Soderberg partially opened the door when Palmer knocked and refused Palmer's order to come out, according to the claim and the police report of the incident. Soderberg began to step back and close the door, after which Palmer forced his way into the room. wrestled Soderberg to the floor, placed handcuffs on him and arrested him, the documents said. The drug charge was due to Palmer smelling what he said was marijuana In the room, according to the documents. "The false arrest has caused Mr. Soderberg issues regarding his employment," said the claim, written by Cascade attorney Matt Williams. Charges Dismissed William asked to have the charges dismissed against Soderberg, something that was done with the support of the Valley County Prosecutors Office on April 23, according to court records. In the claim, Williams said he asked McCall Police Chief Justin Williams to conduct an outside investigation into Palmer's actions, and that Williams refused. The refusal "reinforces Chief Williams's approval of the pattern of conduct and acts of de facto approval of those illegal and unconstitutional actions," Matt Williams wrote. In a statement, Chief Williams said was unable to provide a specific response to the claim since it involves a department employee. "However, it should be known that this department takes all allegations of personnel misconduct very seriously and will investigate them to completion," Williams said. "It is my responsibility, as chief of police, to ensure that an objectively professional investigation is completed to maintain the integrity of the department," he said. Palmer was one of three McCall officers honored by Williams for his actions involving the break -in of an ATM at Idaho First Bank in McCall three weeks before the Shore Lodge incident. Palmer and two other officers pursued the suspect vehicle and were twice fired on by the robber with an assault rifle. No officers were injured. The robber escaped but he and an accomplice were later arrested in Utah and charged in a string of ATM robberies in the region. Matt Williams is also the attorney for former McCall Police Chief Jerry Summers, who was fined in February 2013 by McCall City Manager Gene Drabinski. Summer has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit in federal court, and that case is due to go to trial in October. http: / /www.mccallstamews .com/pages /fp_stories _page.php Page 1 of 1 5/22/2014 Information and Health The StarNews McCall police note rules on ATVs on city streets The McCall Police Department has issued a reminder on regulations involving motorbikes, ATV and UTV use on city streets. The vehicles can be operated on all city streets except for Idaho 55, which is called Third Street and Lake Street inside the city limits. Vehicles must have a valid license plate, a state sticker, muffler and approved spark arresters, a police news release said. Drivers must carry a driver's license and liability insurance, and drivers under age 18 must wear a helmet. Recommended are a brake fight, headlight and taillight, a loud horn and a rear -view mirror. For more information, go to www .parksandrecreation.idaho.gov. ges /info _page.php Page 1 of 1 6/12/2014 1 Pq }Cale faa 11e Str -Neva b. A4n \laiu UNIFORM SERVICE - McCall Police Department Officer Christian Wann washes a window on Saturday at the Mavcik store in McCall. Wann and other police employees pumped gas and washed - windows in return for donations to Idaho Special Olympics. l.____ —__ _. ge.php Page 1 of 1 Information and Health The StarNews McCall police warn about a rise In bicycle thefts The McCall Police Department has seen a rise in bicycle thefts over the last few months. In all of the reported thefts, the bicycles had been left unattended and unlocked, Sgt. Pete Rittenger said. "The first and most important thing to do is lock your bike any time you leave it unattended and in public view," Rittenger said. Just like car thieves, professional bike thieves have ways to get the bike they want, he said. "You want to make your bike look like the least attractive option to a potential thief," Rittenger said. A small, lightweight cable lock Is usually good enough for quick mid -ride stop at a coffee shop, he said. But those who are leaving their bike unattended all day while at work or school will want a heavy -duty chain. The lock cable or chain should be long enough to wrap around the bike's frame, both wheels, and whatever object the bike is being secured. "If you just lock one of your wheels to something, then a thief can remove the wheel and take the rest of the bike," Rittenger said. The McCall Police Department offers free bicycle registration and photograph Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The department is located at the read of McCall City Hall in downtown McCall. .php Page 1 of 1 9/11/2014 ips _page.php 1a. -� ram nr Tomn MCCALL OFFICERS CITED - Boise FBI agents Ernst W—nd, left, and Rod Draper, right, me slumn presenting certificates of appreciation from the FBI to McCall Police Department officers Adam Benjamin, left, and Andrew Fisher for their actions durtag the pursuit of robbers who broke into the Idaho First Bank AThf in Jana— Officer Dallas Palmer, not pictured, also recd .d a certif ate. One of the robbers fired an assault rifle at the officers, disabling too police ears but no one was injured. The robbers escaped but nere arrested later in Utah- Nathan Davenport and Mattherc Anaable— senteoccd in August in Wcrommg m coaneetion c ith an ATFf robbery there and are expected to be returned to Idaho to face charges in the McCall case. Page 1 of 1 9/11/2014 This week's front page stories Summers trial against McCall reset to April Former police chief claims he was unjustly fired BY TOM GROTE The Star -News The scheduled trial of the lawsuit of former McCall police chief Jerry Summers against the city of McCall has been delayed until April. A trial had been scheduled to start on Oct. 31 in U.S. District Court in Boise. But both sides asked for a delay because Judge Edward J. Lodge has not yet decided whether he will dismiss the case before the trial starts. IA The city asked Lodge in April to dismiss the case but Lodge had not issued a decision as of Wednesday. Summers filed the lawsuit in April 2013 against McCall City Manager Gene Drabinski and Jerry all five members of the McCall City Council serving at the time. Summers Summers wants a jury to give him his job back plus pay him unspecified damages for past and future income he would have earned as a police chief. The lawsuit followed the council's vote in April 2013 to uphold Drabinski's decision two months earlier to fire Summers, who had been police chief since 2005. The lawsuit claims Drabinski fired Summers as an act of retaliation. City council members upheld the firing because they said Summers and Drabinski could not work together. Both sides met with U.S. District Court Judge Larry M. Boyle in April to try to reach a settlement, but were unsuccessful. Current Chief Justin Williams was hired to replace Summers and assumed his job in January. pries _page.php Page 1 of 1 10/9/2014 This week's front page stories McCall police to post third online survey in three years Latest poll first since Justin Williams became chief BY TOM GROTE The Star-News The McCall Police Department has posted its third online poll since 2012 to judge how the department is viewed by the community. The 62 -question survey will be active on Sunday at www.mccall.id.us and will close on Nov. 9 with results posted on Nov. 20. "As a department, it's imperative that we constantly assess the quality of the police services we are delivering," Chief Justin Williams said. "I'm confident we are moving in the right direction, but there is always room for improvement and continued development," Williams said. The survey questions range from general feelings about McCall police to specific treatment during a traffic stop or crime investigation. The final question asks respondents to rate the police department's overall performance during the past year on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the most favorable. The poll has been posted since Oct. 13 and was initially publicized in monthly water bills sent to 2,600 customers in order to get a gauge of city residents, Williams said. The survey is anonymous and does not ask respondents whether they are city residents or any personal information such as gender or age. The latest survey does not have a space for written comments, something that was included in the first two surveys. "While it was useful in allowing opinions, it did nothing to place a quantifiable value on the survey," Williams said about the written comments. "I'd much rather meet with someone face -to -face to hear their concerns than to read an anonymous blurb that may or may not have directly involved the respondent" The first survey in the fall of 2012 was taken when Jerry Summers was police chief. The 576 respondents gave the department a 5.86 rating out of 10. Summers was fired in February 2013 by McCall City Manager Gene Drabinksi and Sgt. Larry Stokes was promoted to interim chief. The second survey, in the fall of 2013 with Stokes still serving as interim chief, drew 223 responses with an average overall rating of 7.0 out of a possible 10, or a 19 percent improvement. Williams became police chief in January. Here Is a sample of some of the questions in the latest survey, most of which asks respondents to check boxes ranging from "Strongly Disagree to "Strongly Agree:" • "How safe do you feel walking alone in the City of McCall after dark ?" • "To what extent is crime a problem in the City of McCall ?" • "How satisfied are you with the current level of police presence in the community?" • "A citizens complaint about an Officer or employee will receive a fair review." • "The McCall Police Department is enforcing the Idaho State DUI laws at an appropriate level" • "When reporting a crime, I feel my report will be taken seriously." • "I feel the McCall Police Department is appropriately staffed" http: / /www.mccallstamews .com/pages /fp_stories_page.php Page 1 of 1 10/23/2014 This week's front page stories McCall police rated 7.83 out of 10 in latest online poll New poll first since Justin Williams became chief BY TOM GROTE The Star -News The public perception of the McCall Police Department has improved for the second year in a row, according to the results of the latest online survey sponsored by the police department. The overall performance of McCall police was rated on average at 7.83 of a maximum of 10. That is up from the 6.97 average rating in the previous poll conducted in the fall of 2013. The first online survey in the fall of 2012 gave the department a 5.86 rating. A total of 170 respondents took part in the latest anonymous survey, compared to the 223 respondents to the 2013 survey and the 576 responses to the 2012 survey. The latest poll was the first since current Chief Justin Williams took over the department in January. Williams was especially pleased with the results from one question in which 95.8 percent of respondents said they safe and secure in McCall. "It is my philosophy that this result is directly related to departmental involvement within the community," Williams said. 'My expectation is that you will see officers within the neighborhoods, inside of businesses and out of their vehicles, more often than in the past," he said. Traffic violations such as speeding, reckless driving and drunken driving ranked as the areas of enforcement most cited in the survey. "While a majority of our respondents would prefer additional focus on violators, there are members of the community that are very vocal about 'excessive' traffic enforcement and the proverbial 'speed trap,'" Williams said. "I realize that a balance must be maintained between enforcement and education," he said The 62- question survey was posted Oct. 13 and was initially publicized in monthly water bills sent to 2,600 customers in order to get a gauge of city residents. The survey was closed on Nov. 9. The survey did not ask respondents whether they were city residents or any personal information such as gender or age. The 2012 survey was taken when Jerry Summers was police chief. Summers was fired in February 2013 by McCall City Manager Gene Drabinksi and Sgt. Larry Stokes was promoted to interim chief. The 2013 survey was posted while Stokes still serving as interim chief. Lges /fp_stories _page.php Page 1 of 1 11/26/2014 Star -News News Lead Story Page Page 1 of 1 Summers case goes to trial next week Former McCall police chief claims he was wrongly fired BY TOM GROTE The Star-News More than two years after he was fired as McCall police chief, a federal lawsuit by Jerry Summers against the city of McCall will go to trial in federal court in Boise next week. Jury selection is scheduled to start Tuesday in U.S. District Court on the claims by Summers that he was wrongly fired. Summers filed the lawsuit in April 2013 against McCall City Manager Gene Drabinski and all five members of the McCall City Council serving at the time. 1 The lawsuit Gaims Drabinski fired Summers in February 2013 as an act of retaliation. City council members upheld the firing two months later because they Gene Dwbimki, left, said Summers and Drabinski could not work together. Jerry Summers, right Summers wants a jury to give him his job back plus pay him unspecified damages for past and future income he would have earned as a police chief. He had served as police chief since 2005. In January, U.S District Judge Edward Lodge threw out all but two of the claims by Summers at the request of the city. Lodge ordered the two sides to talk about a settlement, but Summers elected to continue with the trial. The two claims by Summers that Lodge allowed to remain both related to actions and statements by Drabinksi. One claim said that Drabinksi was hostile toward Summers and made an aggressive move toward Summers during a police department staff meeting in September 2012. In depositions, witnesses to the incident described Drabinskfs actions towards Summers as "angry" with 'fists clenched," "slightly aggressive," and "hostile." Lodge also allowed to stand a claim by Summers that Drabinksi distrusted him while Drabinski was an applicant to be elevated from interim city manager to permanent city manager. Lodge quoted Drabinski as telling a police department employee that there was a'conspiracy in the police department to keep him from becoming the city manager." The judge dismissed the other claims by Summers including: • That his firing was in retaliation for his investigation of the Valley County Sheriffs Office in 2012 over the jailing of a juvenile arson suspect. Summers recommended criminal charges be brought against Valley County Sheriff Patti Bolen, but an independent prosecutor declined to file charges. • That his firing was in response to a tort claim filed by Summers against Valley County commissioners in 2012 for what he said was libel and slander. Lodge also dismissed claims by Summers that his federal rights had been violated, including his right to free speech in supporting a candidate in competition with Drabinksi for city manager. ad _page.php 4/2/2015 Star -News News Groups Page ABOUT TOWN .A, . a )ages /groups _page.php Phom fu'R. Sm.N. by Guy t TOE THE LINE - Kodie Anne Freese, q, from Donnelly, practices bike maneuvers around simulated road hazards during Saturdays Bike Rodeo held at Alpine Village in downtown McCall. Riders got free bicycle safety checks, and helmets were given to those who needed one. Page 1 of 1 6/11/2015 Star -News News Groups Page McCall youth with MD named honorary McCall firefighter McCall second- grader Sam Dingman was honored by McCall Fire & EMS on Sunday with his own turnout gear to fulfill his role as an honorary firefighter. Dingman was diagnosed last year with Duchenne /Becker Muscular Dystrophy and serves as an ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association This summer Dingman worked with McCall firefighters in the "Fill the Boot" fundraising promotion and attended the MDA camp at Quaker Hill Camp in McCall as a first time camper. Now he has formed his own team for the Superhero Muscle Walk and 5K Fun Run Oct 10 in Boise. Join Di man's'L' htni Team" as a participant or contributor at v gear a with n9 �9 n9 Pa Pa sam Dingman noaels � 6refig6rers gear cairn www .musciewalkmda.org /boise2015. Jonas seen of McCall Fire & EMS. The money raised helps fund critical research to find treatment and cures, and supports MDA's life - enhancing programs such as summer camps where youths living with muscle disease can enjoy themselves. The Muscle Walk and Superhero 5K Fun Run will start and end at the Knitting Factory in downtown Page 1 of 1 http: / /www.mccallstamews.com /pages /groups _page.php 9/17/2015 Star -News News Main News Page Page 1 of 1 The Law of the Lots: McCall officer keeps watch for trash, hazards BY CHRISTIE GROB for Ile Star -News David Brauneisen took photos of the mess left behind by a bear that had raised four trash cans behind a McCall home. As the new code enforcement officer for the McCall Police Department, it is Brauneisen's job to tell city residents when the condition of their property violates city law. In this case, the homeowner was advised that the trash , .4, cans were not bear- proof, as required by city ordinance. The photos will be kept as evidence in case the property owner is issued a citation. During his rounds, Brauneisen will investigate nuisances ran in from barkin do s to lots filled with weeds and junk. McCall code Ento —en" officer David g g g g junk takes pictures of trash cans that are not bear -proof, which is a violation of city code. Of particular concern to him are several piles of trees and limbs on various vacant lots that could pose a fire hazard. Brauneisen will respond to complaints called in by city residents as well as investigate violations that he sees on his own. The shortage of housing for workers has led to an increase in illegal camping with in the city limits. Brauneisen checks on makeshift campgrounds to be sure campers and RVs do not stay longer than the 10 days allowed under city code. He is also in charge of enforcing the city's parking laws, which typically means ticketing cars parked in front of fire hydrants, and he is on the lookout for violations of the city's sign codes. Brauneisen, 54, is retired from more than 30 years in the U.S. Air Force. He performed compliance duties in the military that he said were much like his duties with the McCall police. Most of the time he lets offenders off with a warning. "We aren't a hammer," he said. An angler at heart, Brauneisen was looking for something to occupy time when not fishing or spending time out of town with his children. "1 get to set my own hours," he said. Brauneisen is not a certified patrol officer, and his duties are limited to nuisances and not criminal investigations. Anyone with a complaint about a possible nuisance should call the McCall Police Department at 634- 7144 or write to Brauneisen at brauneisend @mccall.1d.us. http:// www. mccallstamews .com/pages /fp_stories _page.php 9/24/2015 Star -News News Main News Page Page 1 of 4 McCall, ID 19 OF Overcast DonBailey at 418161 PM crei far F.- Lead Story MAIN NEWS— THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015 Main News Index Main News Opinion Arts /Events McCall police chief wants to Proposed McCall transit center gets Outdoors/Re, lower for some offenses new location Sports/Schools penalties Reading to Cats. Of Record Program helps both Groups Non - officers would be able to write violation tickets PLMS students and Info Desk MCPAWS felines Announcements "With the notice q( violation, it is simply a fine, you go to the city hall, and you write your Chief deputy Valley Public Notices 825 check. " Justin Williams County clerk charged with grand BY TOM GROTE theft for'I'he Star -News Validity of Valley Penalties for some violations of McCall city code are too severe and need to be reduced, McCall timber thinning Police Chief Justin Williams told the McCall City Council last week. contract questioned Williams urged a rewriting of the city's code to change some violations that are now criminal offenses to non - criminal charges paid with a fine set by the council. Currently, violations such as loose dogs and not picking up dog waste are considered infractions and can carry fines up to $150, Williams said. Other violations, such as not having a bear -proof trash container or keeping an illegal refuse pule, are considered misdemeanors with punishment of up to a $300 fine or six months in jail. The police department has a part-time code- enforcement officer, but he is only able to write tickets for downtown parking violations or other offenses already not considered crimes, Williams said. Only sworn officers are able to write up infractions and misdemeanors, which takes them away from other duties, he said. Any city employee could write a notice a violation if the offenses were reduced from misdemeanors and infractions to violations, Williams said. "It is a force multiplier, not simply the police department with the personnel that we have," he said. In most cases, the notices could be mailed and would not need to be issued in person. Avoid The Courts Notices of violations would not need to go through the courts, which would reduce the load on the court system. Also, the city would not need to share fines with the courts, Williams said. Notices not paid in 14 days would see the fines double, and those who do not pay their fines in 30 days would be charged with an infraction under the proposal by Williams. Currently, those charged with misdemeanors usually hire an attorney to defend them, and those who cannot afford an attorney are assigned a public defender paid by the taxpayers, Williams said. "It is going to be a benefit because of the streamlined process and the fact the courts don't have to be involved with it," he said. It has been his experience elsewhere that people are more likely to pay a smaller fine for an offense that does not go on their criminal record, Williams said. "With the notice of violation, it is simply a fine, you go to the city hall, and you write your $25 check," he said. "For what whatever reason, people tend to pay that more often." Council members told Williams to bring back a formal proposal, although council member Nic Swanson said ticket books should be limited to just a few city employees. McCall City Manager Nate Coyle told Swanson he will work with Williams to draft a recommended list of staff members who would be authorized to issue a notice of violation. Index /Menu Star -News News Main News Page Wash. man files lawsuit against McCall claiming police abuse Lawsuit says officer acted illegally in take -down arrest at Shore Lodge BY TOM GROTF for The Star -News A Kirkland, Wash., man is seeking damages from the city of McCall saying he was illegally arrested by a McCall Police Department officer while staying at Shore Lodge in 2014. John Soderberg, 54, filed the lawsuit last week in U.S. District Court in Boise. The lawsuit does not set an amount sought by Soderberg, but said a jury should determine the amount to be paid at a trial. »; ! Soderberg claims Cpl. Dallas Palmer illegally entered his motel room on Feb. 1, 2014, while he was visiting the McCall Winter Carnival. Dallas Palmer Soderberg Palmer struck Soderberg several times before arresting him on charges of resisting an officer and frequenting a place where illegal drugs were used, the lawsuit said. Palmer, who has worked for the department since 2010, was called to Shore Lodge about 2:20 a.m. that night on a report of someone disturbing the peace. Soderberg partially opened the door when a security guard knocked and refused Palmer's order to come out, according to the lawsuit and the police report of the incident. Soderberg began to step back and close the door, after which Palmer forced his way into the room, wrestled Soderberg to the floor, placed handcuffs on him and arrested him, the documents said. The drug charge was due to Palmer smelling what he said was marijuana in the room, according to the documents. During the arrest, Soderberg suffered emotional and physical injuries, including a bleeding ear, bruised ribs, and various scrapes and contusions, the lawsuit said. The arrest also resulted on the destruction of a shirt Soderberg had purchased in Budapest "as a keepsake to commemorate a very special trip," the lawsuit said. McCall Prosecuting Attorney Jay Kiiha asked the court to dismiss the charges against Soderberg in April 2014, according to court records. Lost His Job At the time of the incident, Soderberg was living in Portland and had been a regional manager for a dental supply company for 14 years. The publicity and stress from the arrest caused him to lose sleep and affected his work, the lawsuit said. His company eliminated his job, leaving him unemployed. He now lives in Kirkland, Wash., and is a marketing executive for a small startup company making an annual salary that is $200,000 less than he was making at his previous job, the lawsuit said. Soderberg claims his states and federal rights were violated in the arrest because Palmer used excessive force and did not have a search warrant to allow him to enter the hotel room. The lawsuit also accuses the city of poor supervision and inadequate training of Palmer and for not taking disciplinary action against him. McCall Police Chief Justin Williams declined comment, saying he has been told by the city's insurance company not to discuss pending legal actions. Palmer was one of three McCall officers honored by Williams for his actions involving the break-in of an ATM at Idaho First Bank in McCall three weeks before the Shore Lodge incident. Palmer and two other officers pursued the suspect vehicle and were twice fired on by the robber with an assault rifle. Soderberg earlier filed a claim against the city for the same incident. State law requires anyone seeking damages against the city to first file a claim before filing a lawsuit. http://www.mccallstamews.com/pages/fp_stories_page.php Page 1 of 1 2/11/2016 Star -News News Lead Story Page Police, firefighters to be on alert during Fourth of July weekend BY TOM GROTE for The Star-News One focus during the Fourth of July weekend will be quelling partiers at North Beach on Payette Lake, but police and fire officials will be keeping watch on the rest of the area as well. All 12 officers of the McCall Police Department will be on duty during the weekend, with peak staffing expected between 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. on Saturday through Monday, July 2-4, McCall Police Chief Justin Williams said. Officers will be enforcing the city's new ban on alcoholic drinks in city parks throughout the weekend. Williams was asked whether officers will automatically write tickets to violators or first ask them to pour out their drinks. "We will enforce the ordinance to the extent that compliance is obtained," he said. The three resident Idaho State Police troopers in Valley County will be patrolling that weekend joined by other ISP troopers, said Teresa Baker, ISP public information officer. Baker did not know how many troopers will be deployed due to other holiday events in southwest Idaho. "We will have as many troopers as we can send," she said. McCall Fire & EMS will have its station on Deinhard Lane fully staffed throughout the holiday weekend to respond to fires caused by fireworks or abandoned campfires, Chief Mark Bilimire said. The agency also will have an aid tent set up at Legacy Park on Monday, July 4, which will allow rescuers to be close by in case of an accident in or near the park, Billmire said. Fire lookouts on Brundage Mountain and No Business Mountain will be staffed by the holiday weekend, Chief Fire Warden Ken Stump of the Southern Idaho Timber Protective Association said. SITPA patrollers also will be checking on popular primitive camping areas near North Beach, Bear Basin west of McCall and around Lake Cascade for abandoned campfires, Stump said. ages /lead _page.php Page 1 of 1 6/23/2016 Star -News News Groups Page ,age.php reap b, —ems STOKED ABOUT RETIREMENT- McCall Police Department Sgt. lArTy Stokes, right, receives a token of apprecaatioo from McCall Police Chief Justin Williams during a retirement ce remony held last week. Stokes retired after 32 Years of ]aw enforcement service, including a years in McCall and previously with the Vallev County Sheriffs Office. Page 1 of 1 7/7/2016 Z.—S. -'—by G- `a PARKING LOT TREATS - McCall Police Sgt. Dauer Palmer puts his riot helmet to good use Monday during the Halloween Trunk or Treat event held at Alpine Village. Palmer dishes out treats to Sierra Johnson, t, of McCall, being held by her mother, Hayley Johnson, while Raegan Johnson, a, and Tenley Johnson, 5, wait for their turn. ges /events arts _page. php Page 1 of 1 11/3/2016 Star -News News Groups Page Page 1 of l McCall police to take part in Drive Sober campaign over holidays As part of the nationwide Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign, Idaho State Police and the McCall Police Department will be out this holiday season to save lives by keeping impaired drivers off our roadways. Through Jan. 3, ISP and McCall officers will increase patrols to find impaired drivers. During the same time last year, agencies who participated In the holiday mobilization arrested 254 drivers statewide who had bk)od alcohol concentrations over the legal limit of .08. According to the Idaho Office of Highway Safety, Idaho had 87 deaths as a result of impaired driving in 2015, and impaired crashes increased 7.7 percent over the previous year. Male drivers age 20 -24 years old were in the most impaired crashes, and weekend evening hours experienced the highest volume of impaired fatal and serious injury crashes. http: / /www.mccallstamews .com/pages /groups _page.php 12/22/2016