Kootenai Sheriff Issues July 4th Warning: If You Come To Idaho To Engage In Illegal Activity You’re Going To Jail
He’s Not Messing Around.
(Coeur d’Alene, Idaho) — Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris has issued a warning to would-be criminals looking for a place to do drugs and engage in criminal activity this July 4th; don’t come to Idaho unless you’re ready to go to Jail.
The release says “Unlike Washington, Idaho law does not restrict Kootenai County Law Enforcement from enforcing the law and taking violators directly to the Kootenai County ‘Bed and Breakfast,’ our county jail.”
Kootenai County’s chief law enforcement officer, Bob Norris said “Don’t come to Kootenai County on vacation, and leave on probation.”
He’s not messing around either.
Washington, unlike Idaho, has become a cesspool of crime, drugs, homelessness that is not tolerated in Idaho, however the effects of Washington’s lawlessness is spilling over the border, and costing residents money.
Kootenai County Lieutenant Sheriff Zachary Sifford told the Idaho Tribune:
“The criminals we get here in Kootenai County are the same ones they get in Spokane. Criminals don’t really pay attention to borders, or know that things that are legal in Washington are Illegal in Idaho. We want to make sure that everyone knows that things like Methamphetamine and Marijuana are illegal in Idaho and that we enforce our laws.”
According to the Sheriff’s office, 46% of arrests on July 4th 2021 were Washingtonians who came to Idaho to celebrate the 4th. At the time of publication, a new analysis was being generated for 2022.
Lt. Sifford noted that “It’s the citizens that pick up the bill for criminals that are arrested while recreating in our area.”
Today’s press release also calls on the Idaho Legislature to “Provide local option taxing authority to the County Board of Commissioners to fund Sheriff Public Safety Operations,” in an effort to “Stop placing the burden on property owners,” because “they are low users of Law Enforcement services.”
Kootenai County has hosted seen several events this year, like Pride in the Park, that has put an undue drain on law enforcement, as well as a tax burden on Kootenai County’s property owners, that should instead be on event organizers.
The Sheriff is right; property owners should not be left footing the bill for the bad behavior of out-of-staters.
Kootenai County Commissioners Bruce Mattare and Leslie Duncan issued a letter to Kootenai County Municipalities earlier this year asking for an end to “cost shifting” on to taxpayers.
The letter says:
“Burdening taxpaying citizens with the additional responsibility of paying for security at private events is unfair and inconsistent with our duty as stewards of public funds. In fact, it is common practice for private event organizers to pay for security. For some reason, private event operators have been allowed to "cost shift" security at their events here onto our taxpayers. This is wrong.”
In a blog post on April 8th, Commissioner Mattare said "I do not believe that county taxpayers should be paying for law enforcement to provide security at private events. Period.”
These events in town use up valuable resources that could instead be used fighting crime on days like July 4th, instead of protecting unpopular “Gay Pride” events that are a nuisance to the town and a burden to the county’s taxpayers.
Attempts to find out exactly how much money and time was wasted by law enforcement at these “Pride in the Park” events have thus far been unsuccessful.
Wouldn’t it be better if those funds were used to actually fight crime in our county, instead of protecting it?
