Fremont County Sheriff’s Office Did Not Have Electronics Destruction Policy

By Greg Pruett • November 13, 2024

Idaho Dispatch has confirmed that the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office did not have an electronic destruction policy in 2022 when it disposed of multiple cell phones previously carried by its deputies into a public landfill.

Idaho Dispatch broke a story in early September regarding the phones, one of which Idaho Dispatch was able to personally observe from a source who had one of the phones. The phone had an app which allowed deputies to track the location of every emergency responding officer in Jefferson and Madison County in real time.

Perhaps the most disturbing allegation was that two of the phones ended up in the hands of a local drug cartel.

The phone Idaho Dispatch viewed had pictures of minors from the deputy’s investigations. It had pictures of drivers’ licenses, accident investigation pictures, and other personal information that could be used illegally if they end up in the wrong hands.

Questions from the public about why the phones were not wiped clean or completely destroyed remain. Idaho Dispatch contacted Sheriff Len Humphries who has not returned our request for comment.

No matter what happened with the other phones, the hope is that the sheriff’s office has taken measures to ensure that this breach of security and privacy does not happen again. The app on the phone that could track law enforcement live, if used by nefarious people, could pose a threat to law enforcement officer’s safety or allow criminals the ability to move drugs or other illegal items without getting caught.

Republican Bart Quayle will become the new sheriff after Humphries announced his retirement earlier this year. Quayle won the election with 87% of the vote.

Idaho Dispatch will contact Quayle when he becomes sheriff to see if answers can be obtained.