No, you won’t be pulled over for not staying home

IDAHO FALLS — Police are not pulling people over to find out if they are “essential.”

Rumors have been circulating that Idaho law enforcement is pulling people over for violating the governor’s stay-home order, that Idaho’s borders are closed and that people need documents from their job saying they are essential employees. In Idaho, none of that is true.

“You’re not going to be pulled over for violating the governor’s executive order,” Idaho State Police spokesman Chris Weadick told EastIdahoNews.com.

The order to self-isolate calls for the end of all “nonessential gatherings of any number of individuals” and “nonessential travel.” Violating the order could result in being charged with a misdemeanor.

“Our officers are not proactively stopping anyone to ascertain whether they’re complying with the order, whether they’re engaged in an essential activity or are employed by an essential business. We are not shutting any businesses down. We are not asking people for documentation,” Idaho Falls Police Department spokeswoman Jessica Clements said.

Weadick said Idaho’s borders are not closed.

“We’re being bombarded with phone call after phone call, asking us if our borders are closed. Obviously, our borders are not closed. We are not to that yet,” Weadick said.

Some companies have issued documents to some of their employees that say the employee is essential or that the employee’s travel is essential.

Pocatello Police Chief Roger Schei said that those documents are not necessary.

Wesley Wood, a local Domino’s franchisee, said he gave his employees such a document. He explained that Domino’s created the letter and made it available to any franchisees who may need it for their employees regardless of what state they are in.

RELATED | How businesses are coping with Little’s statewide ‘stay-home’ order

While law enforcement has the authority to issue citations for violating the order, Clements said the IFPD has not issued any citations and would only do so in the most extreme circumstances.

Other law enforcement agencies in east Idaho said much the same thing.

“You do not need papers. The officers, if they stop you, you’re going to be stopped for cause. We just can’t stop people because they’re out and about. We still have to have probable cause,” Schei said

He said if you get pulled over for a traffic violation and officers ask you where you’re going or coming from, that has nothing to do with the governor’s order. Those are standard questions officers were taught to ask in police academy.

Law enforcement is responding to complaints about gatherings or businesses being open that someone may deem as nonessential by taking the opportunity to educate people about the order.

Weadick said ISP also begins with education.

“If somebody for some reason was violating (the order), we’re going to have a conversation first. A lot of times, we have found that that conversation is enough. We don’t have to take enforcement action. We don’t have to do that type of stuff,” Weadick said

In Pocatello, those complaints are directed to Southeastern Idaho Public Health.

“If there continue to be problems, (Southeastern Idaho Public Health) can call us, and we can go out with them and we could provide some further education or discussion with them. If we have to, in the worst-case scenario, these are only for the most egregious cases … we issue a citation,” Schei said.

RELATED | How Pocatello police are enforcing Gov. Little’s stay-home order

Bonneville County Sheriff’s Spokesman Sgt. Bryan Lovell said the sheriff’s office will issue a citation for violating the order only if absolutely necessary.

“The bigger thing is we’re just encouraging people to not go out if they don’t need to,” Lovell said.

Those who would like to read the order or have questions about what services and businesses are essential can do so by clicking here.