Boise mayor defends handling of contract for investigation of racist officer | Opinion

As Boise’s mayor, it’s my duty to make daily decisions balancing cost, risk, urgency and return on investment for our residents. It’s the job of any leader, and one I take seriously, especially as I’ve navigated challenges both unexpected and unprecedented.

Our whole community was rocked by the news that a nearly 24-year veteran of the Boise police force, retired captain Matthew Bryngelson, had openly affiliated with national white supremacist groups. Knowing that community trust is an essential part of a safe city, I moved quickly to ensure that we could rebuild trust.

I secured an independent, recommended and proven investigator to tackle the issue with urgency. After signing a not-to-exceed contract in early December, that investigation proceeded with existing funds earmarked for outside legal counsel.

When that investigator returned with next steps and a monetary ask beyond our budget, I concluded that the most responsible financial move was to direct our existing resources and city staff to implement the recommendations that he provided the City Council. And this Tuesday, Police Chief Ron Winegar, his leadership team and the Office of Police Accountability will do just that.

They’ve reviewed the many recommendations put forth by (Michael) Bromwich (of Steptoe & Johnson) and will present to our City Council the steps they’re taking toward implementing better practices and clearer accountability.

Rather than allowing an independent investigation to continue without financial limits and armed with concrete suggestions to prevent another instance of systemic promotion of a white supremacist officer, I made a call. City Council agreed. We deeply appreciate the investigator’s service to Boise, and this is our path forward.

From this experience, I’ve learned a lot. I’ve heard concerns from the public that we should have done more; I’ve heard from some that we should have ignored it completely. I’ve heard from the Statesman editorial board (and the other candidate for mayor) that there were many ways we could have done this. I don’t disagree, there are many ways to tackle any problem.

One of our city of Boise mottos is “there’s nothing we can’t do better.” I feel that to my core: listening and learning are essential to me, and I will always welcome an opportunity to work hard, do better and improve a process. All too often in politics and life, leaders don’t take the chance to acknowledge that (though we’d all be better off if each of us did).

I urge everyone to tune in on Tuesday night and hear more about next steps in implementing needed and important changes. I’m confident in our plan for moving Boise through this incident as we pursue safety, justice and accountability in a city that strives to be safe for everyone. We can —and will—do better.