Cd’A squashes rumors of smaller police footprint this Fourth

At Monday afternoon’s City Council meeting, Coeur d’Alene council members Dan Gookin and Christie Wood broke from the agenda and brought rumors to the attention of the council.

“I’ve been hearing about the police department going in a different direction this year,” Gookin said.

Those rumors swirled around the Coeur d’Alene Police Department trimming back during the Fourth of July activities: not only in personnel on the street, but in the relaxation of enforcing alcohol restrictions.

Chief Lee White said nothing could be further from the truth.

“We will be stepping up our activity this Fourth,” he insisted. “There will be more public safety personnel this year than (what was) downtown last year.”

That statement is putting it mildly. Last year, the Coeur d’Alene Police Department had 38 officers downtown. This year, White said, that number will be closer to 90.

“We’ve been planning for this event for about a year now,” he recalled. “We’ve been meeting internally with the Parks Department, with the Fire Department ...There’s going to be increased staffing at Tubbs Hill.”

White said he’s also reached out to Idaho State Police and the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office for additional support. When asked if the increase was specifically tied to last year’s shooting incident — in which Tyler Rambo is accused of attempted second-degree murder and aggravated assault after allegedly waving a gun in a crowded City Park and firing off a round — White said the increase in police presence has more to do with keeping park and parade-goers sober and safe.

“A lot of it has to do with preparedness,” he said. “Last year, for instance, there were quite a few people drinking in the park, misbehaving and not following city and state codes. This year, there’s going to be strict enforcement on the no-alcohol-in-the-park rule. If you’re intoxicated and you’re drinking in the park, you can guarantee that’s going to be enforced.”

White further explained that an increased police presence on Tubbs Hill is related to the trend he’s seeing of Washingtonians bringing in marijuana and partaking on the iconic local landmark.

“Last year — and in years past — we’ve seen people come downtown and bring some booze or bring something illegal...Our hope this year is to make this a family-friendly event.”

Mayor Steve Widmyer, meanwhile, dismissed Gookin’s and Wood’s calls for clarification, saying the police have not been given any specific direction from City Hall.

“As long as I’ve been here,” Widmyer said, “we’ve always relied on public safety to draw up and clarify the (Fourth of July) plan. To my knowledge, that hasn’t changed.”

The public safety plan for this year’s Fourth has not yet been finalized, but White said the last details were all but hammered out.

“I’m happy those rumors have been put to rest,” Wood said. “I’m glad we could get that cleared up.”