Cd'A police seek better teamwork with Tribe

COEUR d'ALENE - The Coeur d'Alene Police Department wants a better working relationship with Coeur d'Alene Tribe police officers.

The two departments are enhancing their cross-deputization agreement to allow Coeur d'Alene officers to arrest tribal warrants in the city.

"Currently we don't have that in place," said police Capt. Steve Childers. "It wouldn't be an arrest we would make."

The Kootenai County Sheriff's Department entered a similar agreement recently with the Tribe after the Tribe put its law enforcement information into the Kootenai County system.

The Tribe gave deputies the power to arrest on those outstanding warrants, cinching up the enforcement side of the shared information.

Now, Coeur d'Alene officers are seeking the same authority.

Without the agreement and shared information, if a person was located in Coeur d'Alene on an unrelated matter, police would not know about the outstanding warrant.

"That's why we're bringing it forward," Childers said.

The agreement was recommended by the Public Works Committee Monday for the City Council to approve at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16.