March 3, 2014
Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden
State of Idaho
Office of the Attorney General
700 W. Jefferson Street, Suite 210
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, Idaho 83720-0010
Office of the Attorney General
700 W. Jefferson Street, Suite 210
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, Idaho 83720-0010
Subject: Idaho Law Enforcement Excessive Force Concerns
Dear Sir:
We were happy to hear you ordered a criminal investigation with regard to the situation regarding the Correction Corporation of America’s under-staffing of the Idaho Correctional Center after learning that a police investigation announced last year was never done. Falsifying government documents and wasting taxpayer monies should be eradicated from the State of Idaho and government operations.
That said, we are asking your office to look into police misconduct of the Nampa Police Department (NPD). The NPD has a questionable history after a number of internal affairs law enforcement officers sued the former Nampa police chief in light of blowing the whistle on police misconduct, and it appears the department may not have rooted out all of the corruption within the NPD. The public trust in Idaho law enforcement is waning with Idaho's negative rankings compared to the rest of our Nation. As of today, the NPD currently has a low rating of 2 stars out of 5 stars -- having a total of 97 one star ratings and a mere 29 five stars given to their organization by the public. In addition to more Idaho law enforcement concerns -- it was only a few years ago, the state public defender’s office had to go through its database and notify everyone who had evidence at a crime lab between January 2003 and June of 2011 – a range of dates in which the Idaho State Police said misconduct may have occurred at its forensics lab.
Adding insult to injury with regard to the Idaho law enforcement image, a recent Filer, ID, dog shooting caused several concerned citizens to rallyagainst the Filer police officer Tarek Hassani who killed the dog and threatened to take the owner to jail during his son's birthday party event after an understandably heated conversation.
Another mishap involving Idaho law enforcement authorities includes a family who has been seeking answers after Anthony Firkins Jr. died after reportedly being shot three times with a Taser by NPD. The family is now approaching the one year anniversary since the death of their loved one to no avail and still with no answers. How can the family file an internal affairs complaint with the NPD when they do not know the names of the officers involved in the death of their loved one? The family needs closure and it would be in the best interest of Idaho government to solve this case considering the added emotional stress this can bring to the family.
We ask your office to investigate and rule out cronyism between the Coroner's office and the NPD considering the controversial diagnosis of excited delirium. Eric Balaban of the American Civil Liberties Union has stated he knows of no reputable medical organization — certainly not the AMA [American Medical Association] or the APA [American Psychological Association] — that recognizes excited delirium as a medical or mental-health condiction.
Finally, we are asking your office to expedite the investigation of the NPD since we are approaching the one year anniversary of the late Anthony Firkins Jr. We pray your office will assist with the much needed expedited closure that could help restore Idaho's law enforcement image and public trust with your guidance and/or leadership. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. If you have any questions, please contact Julie Firkins at (208) 312-7320.
Sincerely,
DeeDee Garcia Blase
Co-founder - Somos Independents
Julie Cobio Firkins
Widow of Anthony Firkins
CC: Department Of Justice
Office of the Attorney General
Eric H. Holder, Jr.
9500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 205030-0001
Idaho State Senate Minority Leader Michelle Stennett
Idaho Capitol Building
PO Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0081
FBI Headquarters
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20535-0001
935 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20535-0001
National Center for Health Statistics
1600 Clifton Road
Atlanta, GA 30333
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El Puente de Claudio commented
2014-03-03 14:56:43 -0700
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The issue is Nampa Police Department transparency or lack of it in regards to the the on-going case of Anthony Firkins Jr.. When will an answer be forth coming from your office?
