Boise Police Hire Californian

The Mayor McLean administration continues to hire out-of-state folks to fill vacancies within the Boise Police Department. The mayor hired the current police chief from Portland. Boise Police announced last week that the new deputy chief is from California. (Whatever happened to promote from within the Boise Police Department?)

The BPD announced in a release saying that they've hired Tammany Brooks. He was selected after a nationwide search and was one of many highly qualified candidates who applied for the job, says the department in a release. (What are they going to say? Wasn't he the best man for the job? A nationwide search? Why not hire someone who has lived in the area instead of someone who will have to learn the area, like Chief Lee is doing? )   

The interview process included:

• Community members.
• The Boise Police Union.
• Officers.
• Civilian police employees.
• Others from the City of Boise leadership team."

Boise Police Chief Lee welcomed the hiring of Brooks.

"Deputy Chief Tammany Brooks is a highly accomplished and experienced leader, current police chief, family man, and community partner. We look forward to his arrival in Boise and for the chance to introduce him to our community." 

Brooks comes to Boise with 26 years of law enforcement experience as Police Chief in Antioch, California. (The challenge for Lee and Brooks is that they are new to the area that continues to grow. The growth is fueling changes to how the police will interact with its citizens. How can folks that haven't lived here cultivate relationships while not knowing the area? Why not hire from within the department Mayor McLean?)

Like most Americans, Brooks is happy to be in Boise. "My wife and I visited Boise for the first time last September," said Deputy Chief Brooks. "Two things immediately caught our attention: the natural beauty of the Treasure Valley, and how incredibly friendly, warm, and welcoming people were. Within a matter of days, we knew this was where we wanted to call home."

Deputy Chief Brooks is an inspirational figure. He was a high school dropout when he started his career as a police officer with the Antioch Police Department in 1995. While working and raising a family, he earned a bachelor's degree in Public Administration from the University of San Francisco and a master's degree in Leadership from Saint Mary's College. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Police Executive Research Forum's Senior Management Institute for Police.

"Chief Brooks' humble personality, strong values, and track record of building successful relationships with officers and his community make him a great addition to our department and our community," said Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee.

The mayor has picked her team of outsiders—the chief from Portland and the deputy chief from Californian. Mayor Bieter did hire former chief and avid skier Mike Masterson from Wisconsin. Masterson has developed relationships quickly while serving in Boise. He was replaced by Chief Bill Bones, who came up through the Boise Police Department. Bones was beloved in the community for his tireless community outreach.  

The question that we will pose to the mayor is, why not hire from within the Boise PD? Will the additions of Lee and Brooks strengthen the department, continue to escalate retirements within the department, or reform Boise Police in the image of liberal Mayor McLean?