IFPD unveils five-year plan, including new building

IDAHO FALLS — The Idaho Falls Police Department unveiled its master plan for the next five years Thursday night.

The community was invited to hear about the department’s plan to encourage community-oriented policing, enhanced traffic enforcement and many other points of emphasis for the next half-decade.

“Idaho Falls is a really dynamic, fast-growing area, fast-growing city. We need a plan to keep up with that growth and make sure we’re keeping it a nice, safe city,” said Police Chief Bryce Johnson.

In terms of projects, one of the goals includes a new police facility. Johnson says the main building has become not only outgrown, but outdated.

“2019 is a little bit different than 1970. The mission has changed, the work has changed, everything has changed. We’re trying to fit 2019 in a 1970s facility model that just doesn’t work. It’s impacting our ability to solve crimes,” said Johnson.

Not only that, but currently some of the divisions within the department work out of different facilities throughout the city, making it difficult for different departments to cooperate on cases.

Johnson says because of this, it restricts the department’s ability to operate to its fullest potential.

“It segments us and it silos us. Detectives need to be near patrol officers and talk to each other, and we’re having to put people in different places simply because we don’t have the space,” said Johnson.

Johnson says the plan is to not only have a new facility planned within the next five years, but to be moved into the building by 2024.