Welcome to the Boise Police Department web
site. Here's hoping you're enjoying a happy, healthy and safe
2012.
The New Year brings some exciting changes to the Boise Police
Department. The most visible change is the "patch", or our
department's logo, that you see on our uniforms and marked
vehicles. The new patch replaces the version hand drawn 50 years
ago, and except for the background and yellow edge, the design
remains much the same. However, the new BPD patch is larger,
bolder, more visible, and we feel, better represents the
pro-active, problem solving oriented police department for Idaho's
Capital City. The same holds true with our marked patrol car. Since
Ford discontinued production of the decades old Crown Victoria, a
reliable workhorse for police, we have purchased Dodge
Chargers. An employee committee carefully studied the options
available and chose the Charger based on efficiency, functionality
and cost effectiveness. Two other teams of employees helped
redesign both the interior and exterior of the new patrol vehicles.
We'll be adding the chargers to our fleet as budgets allow, meaning
for about the next three years you'll continue to see both the
white Crown Vics and the black Chargers on the road for Boise
Police.
I'm proud to say, 2011 saw another decrease in Boise's crime rate.
Since I became Chief in January, 2005, our city's crime rate has
dropped 20%. These numbers are exceptional especially when we
compare Boise to the national crime rate and find our city's
decline has doubled the decrease in crime seen nationally.
When I'm asked why Boise's crime rate is falling, I credit our
citizens and the BPD team - retired, sworn and civilian employees,
members of the Boise Police Citizen Police Academy Alumni,
department volunteers, as well as our community and business
partners who all work together to keep Boise a vibrant, welcoming
city to live in. Your phone calls, emails, Facebook posts and
tweets reporting suspicious activities are critical to solving
crime in our community.
Boise is also known as a city with remarkably active, well
organized Neighborhood Watch groups. These groups vary in size and
work in brand new subdivisions and well established neighborhoods,
but all support our department's crime prevention and crime solving
efforts. The organization and communication among neighbors has
provided my officers with invaluable leads and even an invitation
to a bar-b-que or two. The cooperation of our Neighborhood Watch
partners is invaluable. We appreciate your help in recognizing
safety as a necessity for a healthy, family-centered community.
We have 300 police officers at the Boise Police Department and
we too share those values. This agency has a long and well deserved
reputation for community policing. In 2005, I was fortunate to join
an already well structured police department that includes 14 Neighborhood Contact
Officers and 22 School Resource Officers..
SRO's continue to have officers in all middle and high schools
where they start and end their daily duties. These officers perform
numerous duties including criminal investigations, and their
physical presence is often a deterrence and reassuring to parents,
faculty and students. We do not charge the school districts for
this officer presence, as do many other law enforcement agencies,
but see it as an investment in the future.
Of course, one important thing hasn't changed. The Boise Police
Department exists to "Protect, Serve and Lead Our Community to a
Safer Tomorrow". We take that mission seriously and hope we have
earned your trust over the years in fulfilling that responsibility.
While our crime rate is low and we are pleased, we are not
satisfied. I believe with your continued cooperation, in so many
ways, you help us achieve our mission. And together, we pursue our
larger, shared vision to, as Mayor David Bieter says, "Make Boise
the Most Livable City in the Country".
Thank you for working with us.
Chief Michael Masterson
Boise Police Department