Currently, the council is considering a $1.3 million increase for police funding for the 2021 budget.
BOISE, Idaho — Police funding is an ongoing topic nationwide and is one of the biggest topics in the halls of Boise City Hall.
Earlier this week, Boise City Council members held a remote public hearing and discussion about the proposed budget increases for the fiscal year 2021. Part of that increase would bring an additional $1.3 million in funding for the Boise Police Department.
Council President Pro Tem Holli Woodings said that increase would be used to hire five new officers, as well as fulfill contractual obligations for higher police wages and benefits.
During the council’s discussion, Woodings referenced some personal research she had been doing on police funding.
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KTVB reached out to her about that research. She said it was just casual research to try and get a better perspective on the situation. One source of information including city spending data on governing.com. But based on what she was finding, Woodings said it looks as if Boise’s police spending is lower on average than many other cities.
“I found that Boise’s police spending per capita is close to $300 per person per year,” Woodings said. “That seemed to be half or less than half what some of the larger cities are spending on policing.”
KTVB found studies by Urban Institute, along with some state financial data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
By state, it shows Idaho spent $264 per capita on police spending in 2017. That is lower than 17 other states.
Woodings said she just hoped to reference some of that research as talking points as the council continues its discussions on budgets. However, Woodings added that because of continued growth in the Treasure Valley, she does believe an increase in police funding is necessary.
“I do think it’s going to be necessary,” she said. “And that $1.3 million increase is based on things that have been needed for a long time.”
“Are there better ways we can serve our community? Are there better ways we can respond to our citizens in crisis? Are there better ways we can respond to our homeless community? I think those are the outstanding questions we have to look at,” Woodings added.
Before the vote on Tuesday night, council member Jimmy Hallyburton made a secondary motion to keep police funding as it is until a proper discussion with a variety of community members can be had.
“The Boise Police Department has provided me with a lot of safety and I’ve seen them provide safety for a lot of the refugee families that I work with,” he said. “But people are telling me over and over again they do not feel safe in this community. People who don’t look like me, people who don’t have the same levels and layers of privilege that I do. But I can’t look back at them and say, ‘You should.'”
“I don’t feel that we have had this discussion in a way that truly includes everybody’s voices in the community,” Hallyburton added.
The council voted 4 to 2 to move ahead with the budget, including the proposed increase to police funding. Hallyburton, along with council member Lisa Sanchez, voted against it.
