Boise police support the external investigation into Bryngelson’s racist views | Opinion

Anyone who has been following the news knows the past few years have been a particularly tough time to be a member of the law enforcement profession nationally and even a turbulent time locally. As the chief of the Boise Police Department, I have been tasked with leading our agency through a difficult time.

I have been a member of the Boise Police Department since 1993, minus a short stint in retirement. I have lived first-hand through challenging times when our agency and segments of our community were at odds. I have witnessed tremendous efforts made by members of our department to reach out, engage and interact with the human beings in our community, no matter who they are or where they come from, and have seen the positive relationships that resulted.

I have also experienced a significant number of challenges internally and externally, none more prominent than the recent revelations regarding a former police captain’s participation in a white nationalist conference and publication of his ideologies regarding race. I am extremely disappointed in former Captain Matt Bryngelson and the situation I find our agency in because of his actions. The ideologies he shared are not that of the department I know, but we must have confidence that any problems are identified and remedied, that effective processes are in place to prevent their recurrence and confidence is restored among those in our community who have reason to doubt the legitimacy of our organization as a result.

In order to accomplish this, I believe an independent investigation is warranted. I recognize that in this circumstance, in order to have the confidence of members of our community, an independent, unrelated set of eyes needs to be looking into this matter and providing all of us a with a thorough review, including recommendations for any changes necessary.

While I had nothing personally to do with the selection of the firm conducting the investigation, I have quickly become involved in the process of helping them gain access to the information, documentation and people they need to conduct the investigation. I find the Steptoe firm to be well-organized, experienced, professional and engaging in their efforts to begin the investigation.

My goal as the chief of police is to be as apolitical as I can possibly be — it is not my job to make political decisions or run an organization whose work is politically-motivated. It is my job to ensure we protect the rights of all in our community to be able to safely express themselves, their ideologies, their opinions, their feelings and yes, their political speech, regardless of whether we personally agree with it or not.

I am committed to participating in the investigation as it is currently laid out and proposed. I have confidence in the firm selected and look forward to their findings. A thorough review will set us up to move forward, building or rebuilding relationships in order to strengthen confidence in all we do to make our community safer for everyone. If the investigation shows we have deeper issues, we are committed to making changes necessary and correcting those issues. Either way, I know and love this community and this department, and am still honored to be a member of both. We will navigate through this difficult time, as with challenging times in the past, and we will emerge stronger and more committed to the freedoms and ideals that make our community the place so many want to call home.

This story was originally published December 19, 2022 at 3:00 PM.