Former chief: Don’t judge all Boise Police by the white supremacy of a rogue captain

As chief of the Boise Police Department for over a decade, I had the pleasure of working with hundreds of men and women who chose a career to serve others. They were faithful to their oaths and delivered incredible service.

Until now… where one retired captain and his despicable words of hate are causing some to question the organization’s culture and its commitment to fair and impartial policing.

To place the matter in perspective I’m reminded of the old adage “actions speak louder than words”.

I too was among the many citizens shocked by the revelation of his participation in a white supremacist organization. I was hoping to see a press conference the next day where a federal agency announced they had used him to infiltrate this hate group. Never happened. I then heard his attacks on people of color, both in the community and those he worked with for many years. It saddened and angered me for many reasons.

First and foremost, the potential loss of confidence and trust of the people they serve.

Second, the scrutiny and questioning of the remaining officer’s commitment to unbiased and ethical policing. It pains me to think how all of this weighs on the minds of officers just wanting to do their best and being compared to the behavior of a single rogue cop.

Third, the intense feelings of betrayal my colleagues in blue are experiencing by being blindsided by this individual. I can’t begin to describe the loss of personal trust when a dedicated public servant suddenly realizes they’ve been betrayed by one of their own.

An investigation is certainly warranted but aspersions on the cooperation and commitment of other officers is not. Officers will cooperate and work emails and text messages will be closely scrutinized as will the past arrests of the captain.

Countless interviews will take place. The investigation the mayor announced needs to have a formal structure with established criteria, and performed by professionals announced to the public in advance. Professional and legitimate inquiry should not be allowed to become a witch-hunt.

Investigations of this magnitude will take time, so don’t expect immediate answers. In the end, conspiracy theorists will be disappointed to learn this was all about a deeply troubled individual who closely held latent and despicable feelings toward his colleagues and community. This is not a pervasive problem.

I’m confident employees have internalized the values of integrity, respect, compassion and fairness which are just words until officers exhibit them in their actions. I doubt there will be an answer to the question many of us are asking: why? This secret personal life was unknown to others, including supervisors, employees and even his closest friends and will remain so unless he decides to answer it.

In the meanwhile, I ask you remember actions speak louder than words. Look at the immediate statements of the Boise Police Department, Boise Police Union and Treasure Valley Lodge who took immediate and unprecedented action to condemn the behavior of a former colleague. Consider the infinite number of professional contacts the remaining 299 officers have made throughout their careers with community members regardless of race, ethnicity, origin, gender, sexual identity or religious beliefs.

I ask you to look at the relationships the department has established with underrepresented communities where liaison officers work closely to listen to their concerns and provide timely information that gives them a voice in how we police the community.

Finally, I ask you to look at the organization’s words and values and how they “walk the talk.” Every new employee for nearly ten years visits the Anne Frank Memorial before accepting the badge to understand the importance of actions always being congruent with words.

The public has a right to be treated with respect and fairness at all times and by most accounts, has been. Officers, now more than ever, live and police by the values that guide you in your personal and professional lives and continue to show us “actions truly speak louder than words.”

Michael F. Masterson was the Boise Police Chief from 2005 to 2015.