Boise mayor: Community safety requires partnership, not politics | Opinion
As mayor, my highest priority is public safety. When our community experiences a tragedy, we all feel it, and like so many of us, my heart goes out to Jordan Harbst’s family and loved ones. No words can express the profound loss they are feeling.
This incident has rocked our community. People want to know what we are doing to keep Boise safe. Their concerns are valid, and they deserve a thoughtful response.
In moments like this, leadership is more than reacting. It’s bringing people together; being honest about challenges we face; doing the hard work required to keep Boise safe and welcoming.
I want to thank the Boise Police Department and our first responders for their professionalism, dedication and service. They show up when our community needs them most. Their swift response to this tragedy brought the suspect into custody quickly.
I also want to recognize those who stepped forward in a second incident. Two Boiseans heard calls for help, called 911 and helped officers apprehend the suspect within minutes. That is who we are: a community where people look out for each other.
Violent incidents like these don’t define us, but they can shake our sense of safety. So you’ll see more BPD officers along the Greenbelt and in our parks. Because residents shouldn’t just be safe. They should feel safe walking, running, biking, and spending time in our parks, pathways, and open space.
Keeping a community safe requires more than responding after something happens. It requires consistent attention, meaningful investment, partnership, and a willingness to confront difficult challenges before they become crises.
Every day, we work to strengthen public safety across Boise. We opened a new police sub-station, added 34 new officers, we’re growing our behavioral health unit, and equipping officers with the tools and training they need to care for our community. We are investing in Greenbelt safety by widening pathways and adding more lighting in high-traffic areas.
We’re expanding partnerships to connect people in crisis with appropriate resources. We approved a new shelter, and we’re investing in permanent supportive housing because safe, stable housing is key to a safe and healthy community.
It’s working. We’ve reduced unsheltered homelessness 25 percent this year compared to last. We’re building 250 homes for folks exiting homelessness and raised $15 million to provide the wrap around services they need to stay housed.
And to be clear: We adopted the state’s criminal camping ban once it became law and enforced it on day one.
None of this work is easy. Nor can it be fixed with political grandstanding. It is the work our City Council and I have been entrusted to do; it’s the work we do every day.
Still, we must ask ourselves what we can learn, what we can improve and what more we can do, together, to keep people safe.
Unfortunately, some state legislators responded jumping to blame, accusing our brave police officers of neglecting their jobs, turning the death of a young Boisean into political theater. In moments of tragedy, our community deserves better than political finger-pointing.
The challenges facing Idaho cities today are complex, including serious mental illness, addiction, housing instability and gaps in services. We respond to emergency calls, connect residents with services, maintain public spaces. We do everything we can with the tools and limited resources available to cities.
The truth is that no city can do it alone. We need partnership at every level of government. We need leaders — including at the state level — willing to invest in solutions.
When state and local governments work together, our communities are stronger and safer. For years, Idaho cities have asked for investments in the foundations of public safety: mental health care, addiction treatment, housing and other services that help people thrive. The response from the state legislature has been slashed funding for critical programs that keep our communities safe, leaving cities and residents to respond to the consequences.
Jordan Harbst’s death is a profound loss. We owe his family our compassion and support. We also owe them our commitment to learn from this tragedy and do everything we can to prevent another one.
That means choosing solutions over division; partnership over politics. It means state and local leaders working together, investing in the safety and wellbeing of our people.
And it means building a city and state where we look out for each other, where public spaces are welcoming and safe, and where every resident knows their leaders are working together. I’m committed to that work and always ready to join hands with any leader willing to roll up their sleeves and get to work.