Weekly Column: Thank You, Idaho Peace Officers, For Protecting Our Liberties By Maintaining Law And Order

In 1987, during remarks at a White House Briefing for Members of the National Law Enforcement Council, our country’s 40^th President, Ronald Reagan, underscored the role of law enforcement officers in maintaining our constitutional rights: “For two centuries our Constitution has secured the blessings of liberty for people from every part of the Earth who left behind the lands of their ancestors and came here to live in freedom and to call themselves Americans.  I say this to you because you, and members of the law enforcement community like you, have played a special role in our nation ever since its founding.  The men who wrote the Constitution said that among their purposes was to ‘establish Justice, and insure domestic Tranquility.’  They knew that for this to be a land of liberty it must also be a land of lawful order.”

Idaho law enforcement continue to play an important role in ensuring that law and order enables our liberties.  For more than 60 years, our country and communities across our great State have celebrated the enormous contributions of law enforcement officers through events associated with National Police Day and Week each May.  I join Idahoans who come together to recognize the dedicated work of Idaho officers who have given their lives in the line of duty and the more than 3,000 sworn police officers in Idaho who keep Idahoans safe and uphold our rights as Americans.

Idaho has, heartbreakingly, lost dedicated peace officers in recent months.  I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Ada County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Tobin Bolter, who was shot during a traffic stop on April 20, 2024.  My prayers remain with the family and friends of the fallen deputy, as with the loved ones of Post Falls Officer Nicolas McDaniel, who suffered a fatal heart attack in October 2023 after helping a citizen locked out of their car.

As I think about the voids the loss of these officers have left in our communities and their legacies, I am once again co-sponsoring a resolution that would designate National Police Week; express unwavering support for law enforcement officers across the United States; recognize the need to ensure law enforcement officers have the resources necessary to do their jobs; and acknowledge that police officers and other law enforcement personnel, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, should be remembered and honored.  Specifically, the resolution includes the following reflections:

• “Federal, State, local, and Tribal police officers, sheriffs, and other law enforcement officers across the United States serve with valor, dignity, and integrity;”

• “Each law enforcement officer is charged with—

(1) pursuing justice for all individuals; and

(2) performing the duties of a law enforcement officer with fidelity to the constitutional

and civil rights of the public the officer serves;”

• “Law enforcement officers swear an oath to uphold the public trust even though, through the performance of the duties of a law enforcement officer, the officers may become targets for senseless acts of violence;”

Thank you, Idaho peace officers and law enforcement families, for keeping our communities safe and ensuring our constitutional freedoms.

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