Are police still providing increased security for Boise’s mayor? They won’t say
The Boise Police Department confirmed that it was providing temporary increased security for Mayor Lauren McLean in December, after a conservative firebrand asked for incriminating information about her.
Is she still receiving that extra protection? It may be hard to find out. This spring, police told the Statesman that “moving forward,” the department would no longer provide specific details around the mayor’s security.
This was not a new circumstance for McLean. For more than two years, ending in April 2023, she had a two-person security detail, according to previous Idaho Statesman reporting. McLean has said in the past that she’s received violent threats.
The security moves have sometimes drawn criticism, with her 2023 mayoral opponent calling it “selfish” for taking police officers off the streets.
When asked whether McLean was still receiving extra security, police spokesperson Haley Kramer said the city will “no longer provide specific details” about the matter, citing safety concerns.
“Generally, when providing security for any individual, we would not provide information about when these operations begin or end,” Kramer said.
However, police previously have told the Statesman when the mayor’s security detail ended. In 2023, spokesperson Haley Williams provided the exact month when officers were reassigned. And in December, the Boise Police Department confirmed to the Statesman that McLean was receiving extra security.
When asked about that, Williams referred the Statesman to a previously filed records request.
“That should answer your question,” Williams said.
And it did: Between Dec. 1 and April 5, officers provided increased security from Dec. 16 to Dec. 22, again from Dec. 29 to Jan. 5, and again March 14-16, according to data received via that records request.
The security came from 26 different officers, who earned almost $5,200 in regular wages and almost $4,500 in overtime pay while providing that security, according to data via that same request.
