Labrador Letter: A Week in Review

Dear Friends,

It was a full week for my office, and I want to share what we were doing on your behalf.

On Monday, I announced that five men across Idaho have been sentenced to prison for crimes against children. These individuals were each convicted on charges related to child sexual abuse material, with cases originating in Bannock, Bonneville, and Oneida counties.

Every one of these cases began with a CyberTip from an electronic service provider and ended with a conviction. That's the work of my Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, and I'm proud of what they do. When I took office, our ICAC unit was sitting on a backlog of more than 1,400 unreviewed tips. We addressed that. Today we respond to new tips within 24 hours, and the results speak for themselves.

On Tuesday, I joined Governor Little, Secretary of State McGrane, Controller Woolf, Superintendent Critchfield, Treasurer Ellsworth, members of the Legislature, and county officials at Payette Lake in McCall for Liberty Grove, an America250 celebration honoring Idaho's heritage. As a member of the Land Board, I help set policy for the management of Idaho's endowment trust lands. There are few better places in this state to reflect on what we're responsible for protecting. Idahoans have always understood how to steward what's ours, and events like this are a good reminder of that.

Later in the week I traveled to Washington, D.C. for a National Police Week roundtable at the White House with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel. The roundtable brought together attorneys general from across the country to discuss public safety and federal support for state and local agencies.

I used that time to do two things. I spoke about Idaho's sheriffs, county prosecutors, police departments, and the Idaho State Police, because they deserved to be represented at that table. And I made the case for federal support in our fight against human trafficking. Earlier this year, the Legislature granted my office new authority to investigate and prosecute human trafficking cases referred by state and local agencies. That expanded authority helps, but it will be much better with federal support behind it. Both Blanche and Patel were receptive, and I intend to follow up on that conversation.

While in Washington, I also ran into deputies from the Ada County Sheriff's Office who were touring the U.S. Capitol. I thanked them for their service and was glad I got to chat with them for a few moments while they were touring our nation's capital.

National Police Week, observed May 10 through 16, honors officers killed in the line of duty and recognizes law enforcement communities across the country. Idaho is safer because of the men and women who put on the badge every day, and I never take that for granted.

Best regards,