Poll shows what Boise residents want in the next police chief

TheoMay 10, 2024

The public overwhelmingly decided that the most important leadership quality for the next police chief is to “show character.”

BOISE, Idaho – The City of Boise on Thursday announced the results of a recent survey that asked the public what qualities would be top priorities when selecting the next police chief.

The Boise community survey asked the public eight questions, four of which asked residents to rank their top five most important qualities.

The first question asked the public what qualifications are most important when selecting the next boss. The highest response, which received 57%, was “proven track record of reducing crime and improving public safety.”

Question two asked the public what priorities the next boss should set. The top priority was “reducing crime/improving public safety,” which received 66% of the vote.

Question three asked the public what leadership qualities are important. An overwhelming 82% of participants voted “shows character,” meaning honesty, high integrity and ethics.

The final question about the next police chief was what else the mayor should consider before making a choice. Four recurring themes stood out: enforcing laws without political influence, community engagement and reform, opposition to DEI initiatives, and desire for a locally experienced boss.

As previously reported, Chief Ron Winegar announced that he will be retiring later this year after 29 years with the Boise Police Department.

Winegar has served as Boise’s police chief since taking over as interim chief in fall 2022 following the resignation of former Police Chief Ryan Lee. Winegar was named permanent chief in May 2023.

Winegar’s last day as police chief will be Sept. 20.

The full PDF document of the survey can be found below:

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