Haley sworn in as Rathdrum chief of police
Dan Haley is sworn in as chief of Rathdrum Police Department by Mayor Mike Hill on Friday morning at City Hall. Haley served as a detective in Coeur d'Alene before becoming the new chief in Rathdrum.
Photo courtesy of Lee White
RATHDRUM — When the Rathdrum police chief position opened after Tomi McLean’s retirement in June, Coeur d’Alene Detective Dan Haley took notice.
He did some ride-alongs with the department, talked to Rathdrum officers and came to a decision.
“I threw my hat in the ring,” Haley said.
His bid was successful, and Haley was sworn in Friday.
Cd'A Police Chief Lee White said Rathdrum is lucky to have Haley as a leader.
"His character and integrity are beyond reproach," White said. "He's going to do fantastic things for the city of Rathdrum."
Haley began a career in law enforcement in 2007 after graduating from the University of Nebraska, joining the Colorado State Patrol.
He served for 13 years with the state patrol. During Haley’s time there, he became a captain of the executive security unit, which handled protection for the state capital and served as the governor's protection detail.
Haley's family decided on a change of lifestyle and moved to Coeur d’Alene in 2020.
He became a patrol officer with the Coeur d’Alene Police Department and served as a detective for two years.
With only a small number of police chief jobs in the area, Haley said the position is an opportunity to make a difference in North Idaho.
“My job is to serve the officers so they can serve the citizens of Rathdrum even better,” Haley said. “Professionalism is going to be shown through the service they provide with the integrity that they’re providing it with.”
Haley hopes to get more involved with Rathdrum residents and hear directly from the community what their needs are so police can better address their concerns.
Using a similar data roundup to the one used by Coeur d’Alene Police Department, Haley hopes to keep Rathdrum police on top of local crime trends.
“New opportunities are on the horizon. The opportunities that exist with any growth are tremendous,” Haley said. “They’re growing and the police department is growing as well.”
One of those new opportunities is the prospect of moving into the new police headquarters in the next two years.
Although Haley anticipates growing pains as the population grows and evolves, he looks forward to the challenge.
“I want to be a part of that,” Haley said.