‘Defending,’ not defunding: Little announces hazard pay bonuses for Idaho State Police

Amid a nationwide debate over police violence and discussions about “defunding” departments, Gov. Brad Little signaled support for law enforcement on Thursday by offering hazard pay bonuses for the Idaho State Police, according to a release.

Little announced $1,000 bonuses for 360 “frontline personnel” at ISP, according to a press release. The officers receiving bonuses will include troopers, specialists, sergeants, lieutenants, captains and others, according to Marissa Morrison Hyer, a spokesperson for Little.

“Idaho truly is a state that ‘backs the blue,’” Little said in the release sent out during National Police Week. “While other places seek to ‘defund the police,’ here in Idaho we are defending the police! Our men and women in law enforcement put their lives on the line every day to serve and protect us.”

The cost of the bonuses, which will be paid out on July 9, is estimated to be $362,000, according to Hyer. The funding comes from federal dollars Idaho received under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, or the CARES Act, which was passed by Congress in March 2020.

The nationwide debate over policing, which often centers around the treatment and arrests of Black Americans and other minorities, took center stage in 2020 when video was released showing a Minneapolis police officer kneeling on George Floyd for over 9 minutes, causing his death. Massive protests followed the death of Floyd, and also the deaths of others in the U.S. at the hands of police, and rallies were held in Boise.

The former Minneapolis officer, Derek Chauvin, was convicted of murder and other charges in April.