Greg McLean: If you can't beat the system, join it

Post Falls Police captain reflects on changes over past 25 years

With his uncle being the district attorney in Missoula, Greg McLean couldn't get away with much even if he tried as a teen.

Since McLean, now a Post Falls Police captain, had a hunch he couldn't beat law enforcement, he decided to join it as a career path.

"When Missoula Police Chief Doug Chase made a presentation at school on Career Day, I thought that would be a neat way to help people," he said.

Translation: "I also really wanted to drive fast and use lights."

When McLean researched colleges that offer law enforcement programs, North Idaho College was the closest so he went on to earn a criminal justice degree at the two-year school.

He immediately felt at home in North Idaho — and has never left.

"I worked as a security guard for Watson Agency, wandering around the mills during graveyard and went to school during the day," he said. "I was also a reserve for Post Falls Police and went through its academy in 1989."

McLean's first job at PFPD was an animal control officer in 1990 and he worked his way up the ranks, including as a patrol officer, field training officer, detective and patrol sergeant.

Today, he supervises detectives as captain, serves as the vice president of the Post Falls Senior Center board, speaks to community groups on police-related topics and is involved with the Holidays and Heroes program that assists local families and children in need.

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How much crime is typically committed during the holidays compared to other times of the year?

It is based on what is going on in the world and society. It's typically quiet overall, but it's also a time families get together and they may not want to or are forced to. We typically see an increase in domestic violence cases because some people go the drinking route. Domestics typical go up, and I can only assume it's due to confinement, closeness and alcohol. Spring typically gets busier because people get cabin fever after being cooped up all winter.

Do you have any specific Christmas-time memories from your days on the street?

One Christmas Day I was working and there was no snow on the ground. I was driving down the street and saw a young boy with a remote-controlled car in the street. As I made eye contact with him, he drove the car in front of me and I ran it over. It was obviously his prize toy from Christmas. I met with his parents and the boy was devastated. I got him a new one at Target, though, and he was ecstatic.

Any other memories in general?

Back when we had the ability to tranquilize aggressive dogs, a partner, who I won't name, was in the process of loading a dart and ended up poking and tranquilizing himself. His arm went numb. Another time there was a report of a meteor strike east of town. When we responded, there were flames in the middle of a field. We weren't able to determine if it was a meteor strike or something else, but we put the fire out.

You've been involved with Holidays and Heroes for several years. What's it like to be a part of that program?

It's very heart-wrenching to show up at homes with almost nothing, but it's amazing to take kids shopping for their families. One year I picked up a sweetheart girl whose mom had cancer and father had been in trouble. As I brought her back to her house with gifts, she asked me if I was the one who put him in jail. That was at the center of her life. The families are so grateful for the program.

What has been the highest-profile case you've worked on?

The (Barbara) Loesch homicide case — my first homicide investigation. It was a career case for me. I was the initial officer who responded to the home for the welfare check. We didn't solve it at that time, but when I became in charge of detectives I kept moving it forward and assigning it to detectives. After myself and Officer (Paul) Farina, who worked for us at the time, went on "America's Most Wanted," that night we received a call from Pima County in Arizona that they found our two missing suspects

Skye Hanson and Tina Loesch deceased in a vehicle (after a double-suicide pact was made). (Tina was the daughter of Gary and Barbara Loesch, who were found dead due to separate local incidents in the mid-1990s. Gary was shot to death while delivering newspapers in Kootenai County in 1995. Three years later, Barbara was found dead in a hot tub in her Post Falls backyard. It was originally ruled an accidental death due to a plugged-in TV in the water, but it was later revealed that it was a staged electrocution.)

What do you enjoy most about police work and what has kept you in Post Falls your entire career?

It's something different every day. To push keys at a desk all the time is not a job for me. I like the change and, when I come to work, it's never the same. This is a good community to start a career in, and I've lasted because I love the community. I have had other job opportunities, but I've never been in it for the money. It's about the people I work with and the community.

You helped start the motorcycle patrol unit at Post Falls Police in the mid-1990s. What brought that on?

I'm the one who approached Chief (Cliff) Hayes about it. We had an influx of people moving into the area and the motorcycles helped with traffic control and on the streets. Around the training course I dumped the Harley several times and burned the clutch so we had to return it to the company we leased it from. We later got a Kawasaki that was more maneuverable. The company gave us a great deal to purchase new ones because they felt sorry for us.

How has police work in Post Falls changed over the past 25 years?

Early on it wasn't uncommon for me to stop by Bobby's Cafe or the hardware store and say hi and see what was going on. We had more time to communicate with the public. I'd stop at rummage sales to say hi to people. Our biggest crimes were DUI or fights in bars. It was a small community and you knew who everyone was. I knew the people who got in fights at the Falls Club or Bob's 21 Club. It was a more close-knit community. Now our officers are so busy going from call to call that they rarely get to stop unless they are getting gas or at some crime. As the population grew, we started to see an increase in drug activity. Some people who moved in were originally from a big city where there wasn't much for kids to do so their kids ended up in trouble. They brought in a different type of crime that we're seeing now. But Post Falls is still a great community and there's less serious crimes per capita than in many cities. There's just a scary amount of drugs in the world right now that we didn't have to deal with when I first started.

Do you think people's conception of local police has changed and, if so, how?

When I used to drive down the street, people would wave at me all the time. Now you get a few more dirty looks or even a finger. But you still get some people who wave and are happy to see you. I think that there has been great support for law enforcement in Post Falls. Even though bad stuff has happened to law enforcement all across the country, we still feel very supported by the citizens of this city.

The PFPD prides itself on being partners in the community — and that's on the new logo of the patrol cars. How is this accomplished when there's more calls for service?

We have to make more of a concerted effort because there just isn't as much time to associate with the public as we used to. We hold events such as an open house, Coffee with a Cop and movies in parks that gives citizens the opportunity to see us as human beings and that we are here to protect them.

PFPD is forthright with releasing public information, has been active on social media by posting summaries of what are deemed to be the most interesting reports and has made live posts during shifts to interact with the public. Why has Post Falls taken these steps to a greater extent than some other agencies?

We have been chastised by some other agencies for posting so much on social media, but the way I look at it is that is a citizen's right to know what's going on in the community. We don't believe the posts have tarnished the image of the community. I have four full-time detectives and three juvenile detectives. If I can get the word out to even half of our citizens — 15,000 — that's 15,000 more detectives I have. We've supplied information on bank robberies and burglaries and it's helped us time and time again.

Do you have any thoughts about the upswing in alleged excessive force cases nationwide that are often caught on video?

Don't judge until you've seen the entirety of what transpired. I understand there are bad apples with police. There is always two sides to every story. When something comes out, I reserve my opinion until I see all the facts. Most of them come out eventually. People often make quick judgment calls without knowing all the facts.

How much did your upbringing translate into who you are today?

It had a lot to do with it. I have two older brothers and an older sister and we were held accountable for what we did. If I got in trouble at school, I was more afraid of what would result at home as opposed to school. My uncle Ed McLean was the district attorney, so he would call my father and ask if he'd heard what I did the night before. I couldn't get away with anything. My dad knew a lot of people, so I got caught all the time.

Why do you serve at the Post Falls Senior Center?

It's important to see what's going on in the community and with our seniors. We attend their weekly lunches and keep them informed on new crimes. It's disheartening to see elderly people scammed out of $5,000 to $10,000.

What do most people not know about you?

I'm a jokester and like having fun. I like to have fun at work. If you don't enjoy what you are doing, find another job. Keep it fun.