‘Instantly more seen’: With LGBTQ liaison officer, Boise police try to create rapport
In a state where police cannot treat offenses targeting the LGBTQ community as hate crimes, the Boise Police Department took steps several years ago to improve relationships with those Boiseans by creating a liaison officer.
That officer has been in the job for seven years, and he’s been busy lately with incidents in Boise’s North End that culminated in the arrest of a man in October.
Boise police first posted the position in 2015, and that’s when Cpl. Dan Lister stepped up to do the job: responding to crimes and incidents involving the LGBTQ community, and improving the law enforcement relationship with those residents.
Lister was raised in Boise and has worked at the department for more than 19 years. He became an officer in Boise a year before his father retired — after being on the job for 33 years.
“My father did a lot of community engagement work, and I saw the impacts he made,” Lister said in an interview with the Idaho Statesman. “That was one of the reasons why I took the LGBTQ liaison position when it opened.”
Lister said another factor was that he has LGBTQ friends and family, and recently had read an article about how people in that community did not feel comfortable or safe reporting crimes to the police.
“That really stuck with me, because I know from my experience working with the department that that’s not the case,” he said. “There’s always been a spot for them at the table. We want you here and we are here for you.”
North End resident Brett Perry, whose home has been targeted more than once this year, was complimentary of the city and Lister in an interview.
“It felt like the city had laid groundwork or infrastructure to make sure that there was someone for the queer community to call and feel a little more safe in describing the situation, and being open with saying, ‘I’m a gay man, and this happened to me,’” Perry said.
Boise police and community relationships
The Boise Police Department first began taking steps to improve its relationships with historically underserved communities in 2006, with the creation of a refugee liaison position.
Lister said the overarching goal was to help people who traditionally have not felt comfortable having a relationship with law enforcement — something that can be very difficult to overcome. The success of the refugee liaison job encouraged the department to create additional positions.
“A lot of really good came out of the position,” Lister said. “It helped the department realize that this is really important and it serves the goal of helping ... people who might not feel comfortable reaching out to the police. We’re here for them. We can’t help you if you don’t come to us.”
The department has added four liaison positions since the creation of the refugee role, for the Hispanic, LGBTQ, Black, and Asian and Pacific Islander communities.
Lister said he has worked with LGBTQ organizations and activists for the past seven years to try to create rapport.
“I’ve been to multiple Pride events and that’s always a lot of fun to be able to do that,” he said. “I’ve attended events with the Pride Foundation when they’ve had scholarship give-outs, and I’ve been to events with the trans community.”
Lister said he uses the outreach as opportunities to share his goals as the main police contact.
“Boise police are here for everyone, no matter who you are, how you identify, or who you love,” he said. “ ... We’re here to keep you safe.”
Responding to crimes against LGBTQ community
On Oct. 5, Lister responded to a call in the North End, where a gay couple had a pride flag intentionally set on fire at their home. It was the third time the couple’s flag was either stolen or vandalized, they said, but the first time they reported the incident to police.
Perry and his husband live at that residence, and he told the Statesman that he was planning on calling 911 until a friend who works for the city shared Lister’s contact information. Perry, a 15-year Boise resident, said he was surprised to hear police had an LGBTQ liaison.
“When I found out ... I just felt instantly more seen,” he said in a phone interview.
Lister said that as soon as he got the call, he headed to the North End.
After contacting his supervisor about the incident, Lister arrived and offered victim witness services — resources for people to understand the next steps of the criminal process in this case.
Lister’s supervisor then met him at the home and notified the Violent Crimes Unit about the flag burning. That led to detectives coming to investigate and ask whether neighbors had additional information or even security cameras.
“There was one house that I wasn’t able to contact, but detectives the next day were able to follow up with that house and follow up with the victims to move forward with the investigation,” Lister said.
John Michael Schert, Perry’s husband, said having a police contact can help break down some of the concerns people in the LGBTQ community have. They don’t always know how much they can express without feeling judged or targeted, he said.
Schert said Lister’s role helps alleviate the stress.
“There’s legislation plans ... to target members of our community, including drag queens, kids and members of the transgender community,” Schert said. “We are being targeted by the Legislature, which is only going to lead to further violence.
“It’s good to know that the police department, the mayor and the City Council have made the decision to say, ‘We have extra resources to make sure that you’re safe.’”
Arrest of man in LGBTQ incidents
Police arrested a man named Matthew Lehigh on Oct. 12 after another incident in which LGBTQ residents were the targets. Evidence showed that he was involved in several crimes targeting the LGBTQ community, including the flag burning, police said in a news release.
Lehigh faces one felony count of arson for allegedly burning the flag, a misdemeanor malicious injury to property charge and three felony counts of aggravated assault after allegedly attacking several people with his vehicle. He is undergoing mental health treatment to have his competency restored before his trial can take place, according to records.
Boise police cannot treat such incidents as hate crimes because Idaho code on malicious harassment does not include protections for people based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Lister said property crimes such as vandalism or theft related to pride flags still remain more common than violent crimes targeting the LGBTQ community.
As the main officer who responds to these crimes, Lister said he hopes more people in the LGBTQ community feel comfortable coming to police knowing that they have him as an ally.
“We don’t want someone to be victimized twice because they feel like they can’t come to the police after a crime occurred, or that police aren’t going to take them seriously,” he said. “As a department, we are here to help everyone within the city of Boise no matter who you are, no matter your race, religion, creed, no matter who you love or how you love someone.”
This story was originally published November 22, 2022 at 4:00 AM.
