The BPD Beat

Welcome to the BPD Beat

A look behind the scenes of the Boise Police Department with host Captain Matt Bryngelson. He sits down with officers, detectives, and civilian staff as they share real stories about the work they do in Boise, Idaho.

K9 Unit

Dogs. What more could you ask for? Officer Plaisted sits down with Captain Bryngelson to talk about his K9 partner Geno! What does training look like? What do his neighbors think about living next to a police dog? Find out now. (recorded August 2021)

Traffic Unit

Corporal Kyle Wills is in the hot seat answering some of your most asked questions about traffic, tickets, and the rules of the road. Hear Captain Bryngelson's unique approach to traffic stops and a beautiful story about speeding, love, and pizza. (recorded July 2021)

Sgt. Duggan retires

After 26 years of service to the City of Boise Sgt. Nick Duggan retires from the Boise Police Department. Captain Bryngelson sits down with him and takes a look back at his long career, the many hats he wore within the department, and the moments he'll never forget. (recorded September 2021)

Gang Unit

Did you know BPD has a gang unit? They don't just investigate gangs but work to stop kids from joining in the first place. Captain Bryngelson sits down with long-time member Corporal Brian Holland. (recorded September 2021)

Human Trafficking Prevention Month

This episode contains content that may be alarming to some listeners. Please read below for a more detailed description.

In recognition of Human Trafficking Prevention Month, Captain Matt Bryngelson sat down with Persons Crime Detective Mike Miraglia to talk about the work being done in Boise to combat it. An inside look at what human trafficking looks like in Boise, how officers respond to these types of calls, and the challenges investigators face. Support for victims is available locally through FACES of Hope, the Idaho Anti-Trafficking Coalition, and Idaho COBS.  (Recorded January 2022)

Scams

A grandson in jail, money mules, gift card payments, and a random prize that sounds just too good to be true.... Detective Thorne with the Financial Crimes Unit shares what he has learned about the inner workings of some of the most common scams. (recorded July 2021)

Homicide Investigations, Cold Cases, and Jeramy Burt

15 years ago, Jeramy Burt went missing. He left his home on the night of February 11, 2007 and never returned. Detectives have spent years investigating his disappearance and gathering case files full of evidence, but they’re missing that one crucial piece of information that will finally close this case.

Captain Bryngelson sat down with Violent Crimes Sergeant Justin Kendall to talk about homicide investigations, missing persons cases, what happens when a case goes "cold" and recapped what we know about the disappearance of Jeramy Burt. You'll also hear from Jeramy's mom Sheryl and hear her plea to the community.

More on the case (video from 2021): https://www.facebook.com/BoisePoliceDepartment/videos/189151349618903/

If you have any information about this case, no matter how insignificant it may seem, we urge you to contact Boise Police Detectives or call Crime Stoppers at 343-COPS, leave a web tip at 343COPS.Com or use the “P3 Tips” app.

Clover the Wellness K9

Cute, cuddly, and meant to inspire wellness, Clover is not your typical Police K9. Captain Byngelson's hanging out with the one and only Clover the Wellness K9 and her partner Officer Harrison Maalouf. We take a look back at Clover's past and see how far she's come since the day she was surrendered to the Idaho Humane Society. What makes her so perfect for this very important role? What does her life look like on and off the clock? Keep listening and find out. Oh and as Captain Bryngelson says, "it never hurts having a dog in the studio." (recorded December 2021)

Community Partners: Mountain Home Air Force Base

Whether Captain Matt Bryngelson is on duty, hanging out at the dog park, or working out in the gym he seems makes friends everywhere he goes. One of those friends is Nick Esposito, a U.S. Air Force Investigator. He sat down with Nick to talk about how they're connected, the work Nick does out in Mountain Home, and how it's connected to BPD. They also discuss recruiting and the valuable assets members of the military can bring to local police departments. Anyone with questions about recruitment can email us at joinboisepolice@cityofboise.org.

Crisis Negotiation Team

Crisis Negotiation doesn’t always play out quite like you see in the movies… but when it comes to the real local stories, there’s a lot to talk about! Captain Matt Bryngelson sat down with Corporal Joe Kane, who is a patrol officer in the downtown core and has been a member of BPD’s Crisis Negotiation Team for the last 10 years. You’ll hear more about the importance of this team, their ongoing scenario-based training, and success stories from Cpl. Kane’s decade on the job.

TW: This conversation includes discussions surrounding calls for service with suicidal subjects.

 

Career Spotlight: Officer Jessica Knarr

Many members of the community know Officer Jessica Knarr as the Boise Police Department's Refugee Liaison. But becoming an officer wasn't always part of her plan. Captain Matt Bryngelson sat down to talk about her move from Bartender, Farrier, and College Student to Boise Police Officer. You'll also hear more about the many important roles she's taken on during her time at BPD and how her unique path to policing has helped her serve her community.

Anyone with questions about becoming an officer can email us at joinboisepolice@cityofboise.org.

Hot Topics: On Body Video

You have questions, we have answers. Captain Matt Bryngelson talks with Chief Ryan Lee about on body video cameras. He explains when and how they are used, the expectation for officers, and the ways the department is constantly trying to meet or exceed industry standards through policy and technology.

Career Spotlight: New Officer Kate Pollow

There are many paths in life that can lead a person to a career in policing. For newly graduated officer Kate Pollow her journey started with working retail, continued with her decision to become a Boise Police Department Community Service Specialist, and eventually lead to her joining the patrol academy and becoming one of BPD's newest officers. Captain Matt Bryngelson sat down with her to talk about her experience with BPD before taking her oath and how she's feeling about her "second career."

Community Partners: Dispatch

It’s National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and this week on the BPD Beat Captain Bryngelson is talking with one of our Ada County Dispatchers, Katie Holland about the work she and other dispatchers do to help our community, our officers, and each other. You'll also learn about some of the new tools they use to ensure the best response when you pick up the phone and dial 9-1-1. 

Homicide Investigations, Cold Cases, and Randy West

About 42 years ago, Boise Police detectives began an investigation into the disappearance of Randy West. Early in the morning on October 13, 1980 Randy went to his shift at the M&W Market in Boise. He was set to open the store that day, but when others showed up, they weren't able to get in. Randy was reported as a missing person, but the evidence left behind led investigators to suspect something more. Several months later, his body was located and his death was ruled a homicide. Decades later, Violent Crimes Detective Mike Miraglia is still working to solve this case.

Captain Bryngelson sat down with Det. Miraglia to talk about Violent Crime investigations, the intricacies that come with working a "cold case" and what we know about the murder of Randy West. 

If you have any information about this case, no matter how insignificant it may seem, we urge you to contact Boise Police Detectives or call Crime Stoppers at 343-COPS, leave a web tip at 343COPS.Com or use the “P3 Tips” app.

Career Spotlight: Corporal Brek Orton

Captain Matt Bryngelson and Corporal Brek Orton go way back. All the way back to 1999 when Orton left his bartending career in downtown Boise and joined the Boise Police Department. As an officer, he's made many connections throughout the Boise Community, responded to countless calls, and through his training and dedication to service, he's helped save many lives. He's received multiple Silver Star awards and a medal of honor for his bravery.

Earlier this month Cpl. Orton responded to a home for a welfare check. He had to get through several locked doors before reaching a woman experiencing a serious medical issue. He recognized the woman’s airway was obstructed and quickly retrieved a pharyngeal tube that he had been trained to use by Ada County Paramedics Tac Med team as part of his SOU training. He Inserted the tube, opened the airway, and improved her breathing before paramedics arrived on the scene.

Captain Bryngelson sat down with Cpl. Orton to talk about some of these important moments in his career, his training with SOU, and his day-to-day work down at BSU.

Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Liaison

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month so we wanted to re-introduce you to our AAPI Liaison Officer Ted Ni. Officer Ni was born in Oakland, California but spent most of his childhood in Taipei. Captain Bryngelson sat down with Ni to talk about his background, his community connections, and the many reasons why he's uniquely suited to bridge the gap between members of the local AAPI community and the Boise Police Department. You'll also hear real stories from his patrol duties and from his experience as BPD's newest liaison.

Community Partners: Organized Retail Crime Association of Idaho (ORCAID)

Boise PD’s Organized Retail Crime Unit is dedicated to stopping crime groups who travel state to state to steal expensive items and purchase thousands of dollars in gift cards with stolen credit card numbers. Losses from organized retail theft are a growing problem and can result in price hikes for paying customers. The statewide crime-fighting partnership called ORCAID (Organized Retail Crime Association of Idaho) creates a connection between local retailers and law enforcement so that detectives like Officer Ryan Thueson, can gather real-time information and investigate criminal activity impacting businesses. As the thieves go from one store to the next, investigators are able to track their movement and stop them in their tracks before they can take off to the next state. Earlier this year the unit was able to stop a group of suspects from leaving Idaho with more than $37,000 worth of iPads, iPhones, perfume, and other products stolen from local businesses.

Captain Matt Bryngelson sat down with Detective Thueson and Beau Lachance, a local retail employee and Retail Chair of the Organized Retail Crime Association of Idaho. They talked about how the “business” of organized retail crime works, the trends they see, and how to avoid becoming a victim. You’ll also learn more about the local, statewide, nationwide, and federal partnerships that are so important in stopping these thieves from continuing their crime streak.

For more information check out https://orcaid.org/.

 

The Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) Program

Preventing drug use and helping people with substance abuse disorders is a community effort and one BPD is proud to support in multiple ways. One such way is the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) Program and this week Captain Matt Bryngelson talks to Officer Cody Evans about how the program works. You’ll also hear a zoom interview between Officer Evans and two recent graduates from the program, Jake and Miranda, about their experience and how they are doing now.  The LEAD program works to divert people into treatment programs instead of jail.