Top Cop Learned His Lesson Strickfaden’S Experience In Cda Valuable

Idaho’s new law enforcement director is a decorated longtime officer who learned one of his most important lessons in Coeur d’Alene.

“Because of its closeness to Spokane, the law enforcement problems that we faced in Coeur d’Alene were very similar to a large metropolitan area,” said Ed Strickfaden, who was named law enforcement chief by Gov. Dirk Kempthorne on Monday. “Those issues we faced were bigger than all of us, and we found out we could only be effective by relying on one another and working together.”

Strickfaden was the Idaho State Police commander in North Idaho from 1985-91, when he was promoted to field operations commander in Boise. Gov. Phil Batt named him ISP superintendent in 1995.

Strickfaden, 53, said that while he was in North Idaho, he found law enforcement agencies that “really worked together, rather than separately.”

“That’s probably the most important lesson I learned, is that independently no law enforcement agencies have the resources to do it by themselves,” he said.

North Idaho law enforcement officials were delighted with the appointment, saying Strickfaden knows police issues around the state firsthand and can ensure that local and state law agencies work together.

“I am just really tickled with this,” said Kootenai County Sheriff Pierce Clegg. “Not only does he know the entire state, he knows who the sheriffs and chiefs of police are in those areas. He’s not afraid if he hears of particular problems to make a phone call and say, … `How can we work this out?”’

Post Falls Police Chief Cliff Hayes said Strickfaden will do well. “I’m very happy to see the governor selected someone from Idaho that will be totally up to speed from the day he’s assigned in the position.”

Strickfaden is a 31-year law enforcement veteran. He joined the ISP as a patrolman in 1968 and served all around the state, including 10 years in the Lewiston area.

An Air Force veteran, he was honored by the American Legion and Gov. Cecil Andrus in 1974 for swimming into the Clearwater River in December and pulling a woman from a submerged car.

“It was around Christmastime,” Strickfaden recalled. “I swam out into the river, went through the window and got her to shore. Unfortunately, she wasn’t able to be revived.”

That experience and others over the years reinforced for Strickfaden the feeling that he could make a difference as a police officer.

“We go to so many tragedies,” he said. “In some circumstances, you can make a real difference if you act.”

Kempthorne cited Strickfaden’s “long history of proud service to the people of Idaho,” and also praised him for building strong relationships with local law agencies and the Legislature.

During his Coeur d’Alene years, Strickfaden made efforts against drunken driving a high priority.

As head of the Department of Law Enforcement for the next four years, Strickfaden said he hopes to focus new efforts on fighting drugs.

“Methamphetamine has become a real threat to the quality of life in Idaho,” he said. “It’s permeated the entire state, from the officers on the road to the agents working narcotics. … I’m talking about hopefully all of law enforcement coming together to work against this.”

Strickfaden’s wife, Barbara is the president of the Idaho Bankers Association. She headed the Coeur d’Alene Convention and Visitors Bureau from its creation in 1987 until her move to Boise in late 1991.