White looks right

He's been a Press reader for two years, but that isn't the only reason we're keen on Coeur d'Alene hiring new Police Chief Lee White.

Let us count some of the other ways.

* White has done just about every cop job in Mesa, Ariz., over the past 21 years, from patrol officer to his current duties as assistant police chief. When Coeur d'Alene Police Department employees bring their problems and suggestions to him, there's a pretty good chance White will have some first-hand experience with many of the situations.

* Speaking of hands-on, his proven willingness to do anything he'll ask of any of his employees should help ease any outsider-coming-in discomfort.

* Managing a big budget won't faze White. That's one of his responsibilities in Mesa - overseeing a $164 million budget. The entire Coeur d'Alene city budget is less than half that.

* "Transparency" isn't just a buzzword with White. We spent a little time on the Mesa Police Department's website and easily found several proofs of a transparent department. One was published crime reports going all the way back to 1991. Another was a clear, easy-to-fill-out public records request.

Further, we learned that in June, the Mesa PD committed to equipping all 300 motorcycle and patrol officers with tiny Axon cameras and subscribing to an evidence storage service for five years. According to the Arizona Republic newspaper, use of these cameras, which are clipped to officers' glasses or hats, is cutting overall complaints by 40 percent and use of force complaints by 75 percent. In that story, White said he favors the cameras because they improve departmental transparency and accountability.

* Despite his extensive experience, his reading of The Press and the Spokesman-Review for the past two years, and his familiarity with our community because he already has relatives living here, White isn't coming in as any sort of know-it-all. His first order of business, he said, will be an extensive listening tour.

* White is more than a cop who worked his way up through the ranks. He's also a well-educated man. White holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Arizona State University and a master's in educational leadership from Northern Arizona University.

We know several people in local law enforcement we believe could have done the chief's job, and done it well. But we also know that with the turmoil Cd'A PD is going through now with the shooting of a pet dog, as well as the scrutiny many in local law enforcement are under because of other highly publicized events, it made sense for Coeur d'Alene to look far and wide for the very best person for the job.

With White, the honeymoon hasn't even officially started because he doesn't start work here until Sept. 2. But a guy with his background wanting to live and work in this beautiful part of the country populated by mostly friendly people looks like a pretty darn good match to us.