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Boise police chief seeks six new detective positions amid rises in juvenile and internet-related crimes
Summary
Police Chief Dennison asked the council to add six sworn detectives — three juvenile investigators and three specialty detectives (domestic violence, financial/tech fraud, and special victims) — to reduce caseloads, keep school resource officers in schools and bolster investigations of fraud and crimes against children.
Boise Police Chief Dennison told the City Council at a budget workshop that the department is seeking six additional sworn detective positions to address rising juvenile-related investigations, financial/technology-enabled fraud and caseload stress in the Special Victims Unit (SVU).
Dennison said the department’s request includes three juvenile detective positions "to keep the SROs that friendly face" in schools and ensure more thoroughly trained investigators handle sensitive follow-ups. He said those positions are "brand new positions" and would allow school resource officers to remain primarily in schools for engagement rather than investigative work.
The chief also asked for one domestic-violence detective, one financial/technology crimes detective and one additional SVU detective. He said Boise saw a marked increase in certain categories: fraud and internet-enabled crimes have risen, including cryptocurrency-related losses statewide, and SVU detectives carry a heavy caseload that can limit proactive work. He reported 730 cases assigned to SVU in 2024 (roughly 81 cases per detective) and said SVU currently has about 90 open active investigations.
Why it matters: Council members raised concerns about diverting juveniles into the criminal justice system and asked how the new positions would affect that risk. Dennison said the intent is to reduce the investigative burden on SROs so they can focus on outreach and engagement; the juvenile investigators would be specially trained in forensic interviews and juvenile-specific investigative procedures.
Operational and budget details: Dennison described current staffing pressures: the department is holding roughly 16 sworn vacancies but expects upcoming lateral hires and training classes to help. He did not provide a total dollar figure for the requested increase during the workshop but said the department will supply those numbers later in the budget process. Council members asked the department to explore using civilian professional staff for some technical duties (phone extractions, forensic support) and Dennison indicated that the department’s 10-year strategic plan will address both sworn and professional staffing needs.
Other topics discussed included behavioral health response teams — the department has funding for three teams but only two are staffed at present — and traffic enforcement, which Dennison said has increased about 23 percent this year through existing patrol activities. Several council members urged the chief to continue exploring partnerships with state agencies to share investigative burdens in areas such as fraud.
Next steps: The council asked BPD to return with detective caseload breakdowns, the percentage increase represented by the requested positions in the BPD budget and other details (including potential civilian support positions and cost estimates) for further budget deliberations.
