Issues between the Pocatello Police Department and Idaho State University’s Public Safety Department will be discussed in a meeting Friday with city and university officials.
Issues between the Pocatello Police Department and Idaho State University’s Public Safety Department will be discussed in a meeting Friday with city and university officials.
POCATELLO — Concerns about the actions of Idaho State University’s Public Safety officers expressed by Pocatello Police Chief Scott Marchand and Capt. Roger Schei have led to an exchange of letters between City Attorney Dean Tranmer and ISU legal counsel David Alexander.
The exchange has culminated with a planned meeting Friday with Chief Marchand, ISU Public Safety Director Stephen Chatterton and Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad to discuss law enforcement issues on the campus.
Tranmer said he wrote the letter after a city meeting with Marchand and Schei about the new concealed weapons on campus law, and potential impacts on law enforcement led to talks about issues with ISU’s Public Safety officers.
The city attorney said city officers were unhappy about the long delay in being called to the scene of an accidental shooting in the Physical Science Complex in September. Assistant chemistry professor Byron Bennett shot himself in the foot when a concealed pistol in his pocket went off during a lecture.
Campus security officers did the initial investigation, and the scene was cleaned up before city police arrived, according to Tranmer.
Pocatello police also expressed concerns about a campus security officer administering an alcohol Breathalyzer test on a suspected DUI driver before notifying city police and the fact that ISU security officers confiscated marijuana from a dorm room on campus and didn’t notify city police until three days later.
“They’re not law enforcement officers as defined by state code,” Tranmer said about ISU’s security force.
Since the guns on campus law went into effect last summer, ISU has opted to arm its security officers with Glock 9 mm pistols. And ISU security officer uniforms are the same color as Pocatello police uniforms with identical leather holsters.
Tranmer’s Nov. 10 letter to ISU President Arthur Vailas, Chatterton and Alexander addressed some of the Pocatello police concerns.
“I cannot impress upon you enough that the intent of the Public Safety Officers is to only enforce the university’s rules and regulations,” Tranmer wrote. “For anything other than university rules and regulations, it is purely the responsibility of the Pocatello Police Department and other qualified law enforcement agencies to enforce, investigate, cite and arrest,” Tranmer wrote.
Tranmer also suggested that ISU’s security officers change their uniforms to orange shirts with black pants to resolve any mistaken identity issues with city officers. He said if ISU public safety officers continue to perform tasks reserved for sworn police officers, they could be cited.
The letter was given to Mayor Blad for potential editing before being sent to ISU, according to Tranmer.
ISU attorney Alexander sent a four-page response to the city Friday.
“We were saddened and disappointed to receive your letter of Nov. 10,” Alexander wrote. “We fear that this letter has the potential to disrupt a partnership between ISU and the city of Pocatello, and between the ISU Public Safety Office and the Pocatello Police Department that has worked to the benefit of the city and ISU for many years.”
Alexander’s letter said the ISU’s Public Safety officers were offended by the threat of possible citations “without even the courtesy of a phone call first to discuss whatever issues you have with our operations.”
Alexander wrote that no ISU Public Safety officer has ever identified himself as a law enforcement officer or acted outside the scope of their authorized duties.
The letter from ISU’s counsel also states that ISU Public Safety officers have the right to conduct field interviews and seize evidence when necessary to preserve it for police use.
“If there are indications of criminal activity, police will be specifically notified, but as you are aware, our dispatchers are in constant communication with the county dispatch center,” Alexander’s letter states. “Our operations are completely transparent to the Pocatello Police, who are welcome to respond to any call on campus if they feel it is advisable.”
Idaho State University is the only one of the three major universities in Idaho to employ its own campus security force. Boise State and the University of Idaho contract with local city police departments to provide campus security.
Just so everyone knows "johnnyB" is crazy. He says the father whose daughter received no help from PPD is ruining a young mans life? Who would listen to such a sexist and narcissistic person? The father was simply stating that the dispatcher did not even tell officers but made the decision herself.
He claims the Director is Public Safety is racist? What native american tradition was being infringe on Johnny? Were you smoking your peace pipe?
You use to work in emergency services but you dont any more? Why is that? I know why... because anyone who works in the field never says emergency services. You are a first responder. Did you intern for the forest service or do you donate blood?
I dont care what is said here but your comments Johnny prove you are an idiot. You discredit a father for his worry and.concern of lack of care.from the Police but your points are more valid?
Keep it up Detective Johnny, you my friend are a true internet hero.
As a retired professional in emergency services, this issues is plan an simple. ISU Public Safety officers are security guards, they are NOT police officers. Their positions as security guards limit what they can and can not do. Once again, they are not police officers, which means they are limited to the basic functions of a security guard.
How is the Pocatello PD the bad guy here? They are addressing the problems of ISU Public Safety not following the law, which is a very serious issue.
ISU security with guns is a very scary situation. They emulate Pocatello Police to look like tactical swat team personnel and then need armed in case someone mistakes them as police. Does that make any sense? And I personally know of a case of ISU security purposely keeping police in the dark when possible to control investigations and reports. And for the claim that security never oversteps its boundaries, tell that to the security guards driving to calls lights and sirens and pulling people over both on city streets.
The story above is only one side of the story. It is also disrespectful to the the President of the University and the University itself. PPD and Public Safety have always had a good working relationship. Public Safety isn't perfect and may have made a few mistakes, but they have never overstepped their boundary. They have always been very respectful to PPD, and deserve the same from the Mayor, Chief of Police and the PPD force. This article is so one-sided. Their may be issues at Public Safety, but this is not the way to handle it.
It makes me wonder what the Pocatello Police Department is up to.
It's one sided because nobody at ISU is talking about what happened. President Valais said "The past is the past" the day after the incident and has refused further comment. Steve Chatterton, the head of ISU Public Safety, refuses to comment saying that there is an active police investigation. The professor refuses comment, as he should if he is under investigation. None of students in the classroom that day have spoken about it publicly. Now the police say ISU authorities are not cooperating with the investigation.
This appears to be a coverup by ISU about what happened that day.
To everyone is blaming.Public Safety Officers and what they do... here is a story for you.
Last spring, my daughter was being stalked and pursued by.a male on campus and was very much in fear. She was receiving messages and he was showing up at her work (off campus) and continuously showing up where ever she was. She lived off campus but was a student so I told her to contact the Police concerning the.incident because I believed they were the best option for her.
She called in and then proceeded to wait for almost 2 hours for someone to come. When she called me, I told her to just go in and speak with them because maybe their patrol officers were busy. She agreed and headed to the police station. As she pulled out of her apartment complex she called me again and let me know that two police officers were right out side of the complex. I told her to call Pocatello Police and see if the officers were there for her. When she called, she was told that she needed to come in because it wasnt the job of the patrol officers. She was then told that she would probably have more luck contacting Public Safety becaused based on the information their was not a crime. She never talked to a Police Officer but they determined that there wasnt a crime.
My daughter contacted Public Safety and was able to speak to an officer and a report was taken. While speaking with Public Safety, they asked my daughter if she would like to speak with a Pocatello Police officer. My daughter explained the situation and the Public Safety officer sai that he would contact the Police on her behalf. After speaking with Public Safety, my daughter was finally able to speak with a Police officer. Pocatello Police ended up speaking with the male and told him to stop. Public Safety issued a trespass warning to the male, made him speak to school officials and continuously followed up with my daughter to make sure she felt safe. They also offered counseling and other options to her. They cared when Pocatello Police brushed her off.
At graduation in May, I spoke to several Public Safety Officers and thanked them for what they did. They didnt know who I was or my situation but they were very kind to me and my wife. They helped us out and helped my daughter feel safe. My observation is that these are not young men but men with families and would venture to say that they are more educated then most believe. These are not mall security or rent a cops. They are professionals and living out of state, I am grateful that ISU is sticking up to the bullies of Pocatello Police Department and not bowing down to a city department that owes the majority of their force to the economic giving of what a university brings.
Let me get this straight. The Pocatello PD blew off your daughter and then declared there was no evidence to support your daughters claim so the PPD did not pursue charges or any other action. But yet, ISU Public Safety which is not a legal certified law enforcement agency did? By the sound of your story, it makes me believe you all may have ruined a young mans academic career and could be grounds for a lawsuit by this young man.
Secondly, how is the Pocatello PD bullying ISU Public Safety? The evidence is clear of Public Safety overstepping their boundaries to the point of breaking the law. The ISU Public Safety students are not professionals, they are students and a department which is not certified law enforcement agency. The title speaks for its self 'ISU Public Safety' NOT "ISU Police Department'.
Your story is full of holes and false statements.Better try harder next time, sir.
From what I've heard all the Full-time Officers and Student officers have gone through the Law Enforcement Academy, and most of them have received a lot of the same training that the Pocatello Police receive.
I heard some other police forces around the state have said our officers are better trained than some of the actual police forces around the state...
It's about time the issues with the ISU Public Safety are being addressed. These issues have been ongoing for years and there a long list of other situations that have not been reported.
For example, The Director of Public Safety, Stephen Chatterton using his Public Safety Officers to harass a Native American student who lived in student housing for practicing his Native American cultural ways.There have been cases of Public Safety pursuing cars miles away from campus and patrolling areas and stopping cars off campus. Another situation was the problem of Public Safety Officers endangering the lives of young children at the ISU Ridge Crest family student housing. Instead of accessing the trails on Red Hill through designated gates, the Public Safety Officers would drive through the yards of the housing complex. There was another example of a student being involved in an domestic abuse hit an run, the Public Safety Officers did not notify the PPD instead they laughed at the individual and left the scene.
These examples don't include the years of over stepping their job description and illegally stopping vehicles, giving citations and in some cases illegal search and seizures. And lets not forget President Vailas using them as him own private goon squad to escort the faculty and staff Vailas fires off campus.
The ISU Public Safety Department has had a long history of abusing their authority and over stepping their boundaries. It's about time these issues have come to light. I thank the Pocatello PD for taking a stand. There is a world of problems at ISU and if the rest of our community would have the courage like the PPD has then we could make ISU and better place.
Sounds like a good argument for allowing students with concealed carry permits to have guns on campus. I may or may not have done it before it was "allowed", for the very reason you outlined.... police essentially need you to hand them a case and suspect on a silver platter. Stalking, by the way, is among the easiest crimes to get away with. The stalker is much more protected under the law than the victims. Women should always be armed with SOMETHING. To be fair to both institutions though, public safety is just as useless. They just tend to be around the campus whereas police are out "fishing", but with public safety you're really just calling a fellow class mate who has pepper spray. You are always your own last line of defense.
ISU is public safety, its job is to enforce parking regulations, check buildings and keep students safe. If ISU wants a police force, then turn over the public safety building to PPD, provide the police department with the wages that were being given to public safety and then let the PPD hire its officers to work on the campus.
It is clear from the article that there are things that are occurring with Public Safety that are stepping over the line. Making traffic stops when you have no police power or certification is just one of the many problems that have been occurring for many years. That is like a mall security guard being equipped with police gear and then stopping people in the mall parking lot, searching cars and making arrest Leave the police work to the real police.
So is the Journal ever going to report the full story about what happened that day? Have the police finished their investigation? Has the professor been charged with any crime or has the prosecutor decided not to bring charges? Was a crime committed? Why hasn't the Journal interviewed any of the students in the room that day?
The delay in notifying police was reported by the ISU Bengal, the student newspaper, two months ago. Why is this the first time that it appears in the Journal?
Who? What? When? Where? How? Does the Journal ask those questions anymore?
(14) comments
Just so everyone knows "johnnyB" is crazy. He says the father whose daughter received no help from PPD is ruining a young mans life? Who would listen to such a sexist and narcissistic person? The father was simply stating that the dispatcher did not even tell officers but made the decision herself.
He claims the Director is Public Safety is racist? What native american tradition was being infringe on Johnny? Were you smoking your peace pipe?
You use to work in emergency services but you dont any more? Why is that? I know why... because anyone who works in the field never says emergency services. You are a first responder. Did you intern for the forest service or do you donate blood?
I dont care what is said here but your comments Johnny prove you are an idiot. You discredit a father for his worry and.concern of lack of care.from the Police but your points are more valid?
Keep it up Detective Johnny, you my friend are a true internet hero.
Haha.. settle down there buck shot, you clearly missed the point I was making but that is to be expected since I'm dealing with an ignorant Idahoan.
As a retired professional in emergency services, this issues is plan an simple. ISU Public Safety officers are security guards, they are NOT police officers. Their positions as security guards limit what they can and can not do. Once again, they are not police officers, which means they are limited to the basic functions of a security guard.
How is the Pocatello PD the bad guy here? They are addressing the problems of ISU Public Safety not following the law, which is a very serious issue.
ISU security with guns is a very scary situation. They emulate Pocatello Police to look like tactical swat team personnel and then need armed in case someone mistakes them as police. Does that make any sense? And I personally know of a case of ISU security purposely keeping police in the dark when possible to control investigations and reports. And for the claim that security never oversteps its boundaries, tell that to the security guards driving to calls lights and sirens and pulling people over both on city streets.
The story above is only one side of the story. It is also disrespectful to the the President of the University and the University itself. PPD and Public Safety have always had a good working relationship. Public Safety isn't perfect and may have made a few mistakes, but they have never overstepped their boundary. They have always been very respectful to PPD, and deserve the same from the Mayor, Chief of Police and the PPD force. This article is so one-sided. Their may be issues at Public Safety, but this is not the way to handle it.
It makes me wonder what the Pocatello Police Department is up to.
It's one sided because nobody at ISU is talking about what happened. President Valais said "The past is the past" the day after the incident and has refused further comment. Steve Chatterton, the head of ISU Public Safety, refuses to comment saying that there is an active police investigation. The professor refuses comment, as he should if he is under investigation. None of students in the classroom that day have spoken about it publicly. Now the police say ISU authorities are not cooperating with the investigation.
This appears to be a coverup by ISU about what happened that day.
To everyone is blaming.Public Safety Officers and what they do... here is a story for you.
Last spring, my daughter was being stalked and pursued by.a male on campus and was very much in fear. She was receiving messages and he was showing up at her work (off campus) and continuously showing up where ever she was. She lived off campus but was a student so I told her to contact the Police concerning the.incident because I believed they were the best option for her.
She called in and then proceeded to wait for almost 2 hours for someone to come. When she called me, I told her to just go in and speak with them because maybe their patrol officers were busy. She agreed and headed to the police station. As she pulled out of her apartment complex she called me again and let me know that two police officers were right out side of the complex. I told her to call Pocatello Police and see if the officers were there for her. When she called, she was told that she needed to come in because it wasnt the job of the patrol officers. She was then told that she would probably have more luck contacting Public Safety becaused based on the information their was not a crime. She never talked to a Police Officer but they determined that there wasnt a crime.
My daughter contacted Public Safety and was able to speak to an officer and a report was taken. While speaking with Public Safety, they asked my daughter if she would like to speak with a Pocatello Police officer. My daughter explained the situation and the Public Safety officer sai that he would contact the Police on her behalf. After speaking with Public Safety, my daughter was finally able to speak with a Police officer. Pocatello Police ended up speaking with the male and told him to stop. Public Safety issued a trespass warning to the male, made him speak to school officials and continuously followed up with my daughter to make sure she felt safe. They also offered counseling and other options to her. They cared when Pocatello Police brushed her off.
At graduation in May, I spoke to several Public Safety Officers and thanked them for what they did. They didnt know who I was or my situation but they were very kind to me and my wife. They helped us out and helped my daughter feel safe. My observation is that these are not young men but men with families and would venture to say that they are more educated then most believe. These are not mall security or rent a cops. They are professionals and living out of state, I am grateful that ISU is sticking up to the bullies of Pocatello Police Department and not bowing down to a city department that owes the majority of their force to the economic giving of what a university brings.
Thank you.
Let me get this straight. The Pocatello PD blew off your daughter and then declared there was no evidence to support your daughters claim so the PPD did not pursue charges or any other action. But yet, ISU Public Safety which is not a legal certified law enforcement agency did? By the sound of your story, it makes me believe you all may have ruined a young mans academic career and could be grounds for a lawsuit by this young man.
Secondly, how is the Pocatello PD bullying ISU Public Safety? The evidence is clear of Public Safety overstepping their boundaries to the point of breaking the law. The ISU Public Safety students are not professionals, they are students and a department which is not certified law enforcement agency. The title speaks for its self 'ISU Public Safety' NOT "ISU Police Department'.
Your story is full of holes and false statements.Better try harder next time, sir.
From what I've heard all the Full-time Officers and Student officers have gone through the Law Enforcement Academy, and most of them have received a lot of the same training that the Pocatello Police receive.
I heard some other police forces around the state have said our officers are better trained than some of the actual police forces around the state...
They may have the same basic training provided at the POST academy, and they may have additional training. But they are not sworn police officers.
It's about time the issues with the ISU Public Safety are being addressed. These issues have been ongoing for years and there a long list of other situations that have not been reported.
For example, The Director of Public Safety, Stephen Chatterton using his Public Safety Officers to harass a Native American student who lived in student housing for practicing his Native American cultural ways.There have been cases of Public Safety pursuing cars miles away from campus and patrolling areas and stopping cars off campus. Another situation was the problem of Public Safety Officers endangering the lives of young children at the ISU Ridge Crest family student housing. Instead of accessing the trails on Red Hill through designated gates, the Public Safety Officers would drive through the yards of the housing complex. There was another example of a student being involved in an domestic abuse hit an run, the Public Safety Officers did not notify the PPD instead they laughed at the individual and left the scene.
These examples don't include the years of over stepping their job description and illegally stopping vehicles, giving citations and in some cases illegal search and seizures. And lets not forget President Vailas using them as him own private goon squad to escort the faculty and staff Vailas fires off campus.
The ISU Public Safety Department has had a long history of abusing their authority and over stepping their boundaries. It's about time these issues have come to light. I thank the Pocatello PD for taking a stand. There is a world of problems at ISU and if the rest of our community would have the courage like the PPD has then we could make ISU and better place.
Sounds like a good argument for allowing students with concealed carry permits to have guns on campus. I may or may not have done it before it was "allowed", for the very reason you outlined.... police essentially need you to hand them a case and suspect on a silver platter. Stalking, by the way, is among the easiest crimes to get away with. The stalker is much more protected under the law than the victims. Women should always be armed with SOMETHING.
To be fair to both institutions though, public safety is just as useless. They just tend to be around the campus whereas police are out "fishing", but with public safety you're really just calling a fellow class mate who has pepper spray.
You are always your own last line of defense.
ISU is public safety, its job is to enforce parking regulations, check buildings and keep students safe. If ISU wants a police force, then turn over the public safety building to PPD, provide the police department with the wages that were being given to public safety and then let the PPD hire its officers to work on the campus.
It is clear from the article that there are things that are occurring with Public Safety that are stepping over the line. Making traffic stops when you have no police power or certification is just one of the many problems that have been occurring for many years. That is like a mall security guard being equipped with police gear and then stopping people in the mall parking lot, searching cars and making arrest Leave the police work to the real police.
So is the Journal ever going to report the full story about what happened that day? Have the police finished their investigation? Has the professor been charged with any crime or has the prosecutor decided not to bring charges? Was a crime committed? Why hasn't the Journal interviewed any of the students in the room that day?
The delay in notifying police was reported by the ISU Bengal, the student newspaper, two months ago. Why is this the first time that it appears in the Journal?
Who? What? When? Where? How? Does the Journal ask those questions anymore?
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