Idaho Dispatch

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Some Idahoans Concerned About Boise’s New Police Chief

By • June 16, 2020

Boise has a new police chief and some are concerned about where he comes from.

On June 9th the Boise City Council confirmed that Ryan Lee would serve as the new police chief for Idaho’s largest city.

Bill Bones, the former police chief, had announced his retirement in October of 2019. He served 27 years with the Boise Police Department.

Lee will take over as police chief on July 1st but some citizens have concerns about where Lee was hired from.

Primarily, some Boise citizens are concerned that Lee spent much of his career with the Portland Police Department.

At the time Lee was hired by the Mayor of Boise, Lauren McLean, Chief Lee was the Assistant Police Chief in Portland. This would indicate that he was in a position of leadership with the Portland Police Department.

What is the concern with his hiring in Boise then?

The primary issue that some citizens in Boise have with the hire doesn’t appear to be anything related to Chief Lee directly. Rather, some Boiseans are concerned with how the Portland Police Department has handled the unrest that has occurred in the city over the last few years.

A quick scan through the comment sections on local media outlets on the hiring of Chief Lee will indicate a lot of concern from Treasure Valley residents on the hiring:

This sentiment about Portland is found in a number of articles and videos online from those who live or work there.

For instance, this video from “Stumptown Matters” shows a journalist who was trying to document the unrest in Portland when he was chased by ANTIFA. They had a can of pepper spray and it is unclear what they intended to do to him if he hadn’t run away.

The journalist did manage to run right into a staging area with several police officers. Yet, the officers made it clear they were not going to help him.

Warning, very strong language in the video.

In the video, you can hear the officers tell the journalist that they will not protect him. “We’re not going to save you,” the officer tells the journalist.

The Portland Police have been criticized a number of times for not stepping in when protests turn violent.

Newsweek reporter Andy NGO has been on the ground in Portland many times to cover the violence that has broken out at these protests.

He wrote an article about the lack of police help for the citizens of Portland.

In it, he said:

While Wheeler has borne the brunt of public criticism about Portland police’s “laissez-faire” approach to crowd control, interviews with those at the PPB reveal that Portland’s problems with violent protests stem not from the inadequate leadership of any one person, but systemic and pervasive factors affecting police, government and the city itself.

Andy goes on to say that the Mayor of Portland, Tedd Wheeler, who also serves as the Police Commissioner, wants the police to sit back and not intervene in these tense and oftentimes violent situations.

Andy knows all too well the violence that has occurred at the hands of ANTIFA because he himself was attacked by them.

This video from the Oregonian Live shows Andy being attacked by ANTIFA members.

The video contains strong language. Viewer discretion is advised.

These are just a few examples of chaos that has erupted in the city over the last few years.

Other groups such as Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer have been in clashes with ANTIFA a number of times as well.

Both sides claim the other started the violence and police are often nowhere to be found in breaking up the violence.

This type of unrest is what some Boiseans are concerned with since the new Police Chief hails from Portland. What level of decision making did Chief Lee have in the policies and practices of the Portland Police Department?

It should be noted that the Portland Police Department doesn’t appear to have the backing of the mayor. This could have impacted Chief Lee’s ability to implement stronger policies against violence at demonstrations.

Will the same type of unrest and violence make its way to Idaho?

Chief Lee recently did a video conference with Mayor McLean and the media in Idaho.

He was asked about the unrest and lawsuits in Portland over demonstrations.

Chief Lee responded that he is officially in Portland until July 1st and can’t comment on anything actively going on. Additionally, he says that his focus is on trying to talk to activists who are protesting and building a relationship with them.

We did find this interview of him discussing some of these protests that have been talked about.

In the interview, he says that his job is to ensure that people can exercise their 1st Amendment rights and to uphold the constitution.

However, he does not address any of the violence that has occurred but says that he hopes people will think about the big picture and what they may not see behind the scenes.

He finishes the interview by stating that the Portland Police Department is one that many other departments look at in handling large-scale gatherings.

Would this be an indication that Chief Lee intends to implement similar policies in Boise when he officially takes the reigns on July 1st?

What do you think about the new Boise Police Chief’s hiring? Let us know in the comments.

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Tags: ANTIFA, Boise, Idaho, Lauren McLean, Oregon, Police Chief, Portland, Proud Boys, Ryan Lee

13 thoughts on “Some Idahoans Concerned About Boise’s New Police Chief

  1. Idahoans need to organize a preemptive tar and feather party for Boise before it’s too late.

  2. It appears Mr. Lee is clearly a Liberal. Another democrat that will allow our cities to be over run with criminals. The writing is on the wall here. Liberal policies are failures to say the least.

  3. Portland is one of the worst run cities in the country these days and boise mayor has hired a cop from there to run boise, REALLY ,, how stupid,,

  4. Agreeing with the comments above it should be observed..since he cannot comment at this time…he was with Portland for 13 years..showing tactic approval of all its policing policy. If he did not agree with the policy… well, a man of backbone and moral character would have left years ago. Let him go back (if they’ll have him) and take our mayor and city council
    with him

    1. Ridiculous move to hire a liberal cop from Portland to be OUR CHIEF. *sheesh*
      Don’t forget, we’re armed to the teeth and will NOT tolerate lawlessness and anarchy like we see going on in Seattle…PERIOD. This is something he should clearly understand.

  5. It is my hope that he upholds the rule of law. One thing he must understand about Idaho, even many Boise residents, we are armed, we will not put up with nonsense, the other thing to understand, if the police will not operate under the rule of Law, we the residents of Idaho do out number them. We will support the rule of law.

  6. Once he implements his new policies, the Boise Police will no longer be your friend. Antifa will be allowed to attack local citizens and if you fight back to defend yourself, they will arrest you. This is what is happening in liberal socialist controlled cities across the U.S. Boise now has a socialist mayor and a socialist police chief. He has no roots here and could care less about the citizens or our way of life. He is part of the plan for a communist takeover.

  7. I’ve seen firsthand how Portland’s leadership completely defanged its police while allowing Anfita to run rampant on the city streets. I fear this won’t end well for Boise.

  8. I am not happy with this mayor and her approach to liberalism. She did not indicate her philosophy is with the democratic party. Conversely, she will be a one term mayor or be recalled if she does not represent the People of Boise who are basically conservative and for law and order. We don’t want the look pf Portland Or Washington state. What a dismal failure both states have become. Unable to control violence and order..

  9. This lib chief was hand picked people… Mayors want chiefs that will share their nut case ideology.. They are not elected.. Treasure valley better wake up..

  10. BY THE LEFT’S OWN STANDARD, RYAN LEE APPROVES OF VIOLENT ATTACKS ON INNOCENT CITIZENS, APPROVES OF “THE PORTLAND WAY”

    >>…[Chief Ryan Lee’s] focus is on trying to talk to activists who are protesting and building a relationship with them…and to ensure that people can exercise their 1st Amendment rights and to uphold the constitution.

    Uhhh, ensure which people can exercise their rights? Apparently, only violent people. In failing to equally ensure the rights of the innocent victims of vicious attackers, BY THE LEFT’S OWN STANDARD WHICH EQUATES SILENCE AND LACK OF ACTION WITH APPROVAL, the Portland Police clearly APPROVE OF ensuring the rights of only some of the people–the lawless and the violent.

    We know how well Portland Police’s we’ll-only-protect-your-rights-if-you’re-lawless guiding principle worked out for journalist Andy Ngo, innocent victim of a vicious, violent attack by “activists” on June 29, 2019. Mr Ngo suffered a prolonged, nearly-murderous assault, facial damage, and brain bleed–courtesy of the Portland Police, who refused to help. https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/02/opinions/antifa-andy-ngo-gagliano/index.html. BY THE LEFT’S OWN STANDARD WHICH EQUATES SILENCE AND LACK OF ACTION WITH APPROVAL, the Portland Police APPROVE OF “activist,” violent, and murderous assault on innocent citizens.

    In another instance, Portland Police’s response to a cameraman being chased by lawless “protestors”: “We’re not going to come out and save you.” (https://www.newsweek.com/why-portland-police-stand-passively-when-leftists-riot-1489799) Again, BY THE LEFT’S OWN STANDARD WHICH EQUATES SILENCE AND LACK OF ACTION WITH APPROVAL, Portland Police APPROVE OF violent attacks on innocent citizens.

    Also from https://www.newsweek.com/why-portland-police-stand-passively-when-leftists-riot-1489799: “…passive policing at violent demonstrations has become a point of pride for the PPB…key decision-makers in the PPB said…”If we identify that we might be the problem, that we might be the agitation there, we will remove ourselves physically from [the protest] to try to de-escalate,” Captain Craig Dobson said.

    Ryan Lee spent nearly 20 yrs in the Portland PD, at least part as Assistant Police Chief. He saw, he stayed, and he didn’t speak out against the policing referenced above, so BY THE LEFT’S OWN STANDARD WHICH EQUATES SILENCE AND LACK OF ACTION WITH APPROVAL, Ryan Lee APPROVES OF police intentionally refusing to protect innocent citizens from brutal attacks by crowds of violent, lawless “activists.” Lee’s recent statements in Boise are that his philosophy is to “understand the different voices in protests.” He does not speak out against the abuses above, nor speak out clearly for law and order for all citizens, nor demonstrate these values by his actions, so BY THE LEFT’S OWN STANDARD WHICH EQUATES SILENCE AND LACK OF ACTION WITH APPROVAL, it appears that Chief Lee APPROVES OF policing The Portland Way, valuing “voices in protests” more than public safety. God help us.

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