Busy Deputies Get Some Help Investigating Crime Former Kootenai County Animal-Control Officer Is Taking Reports On Some Property Crimes

Citing a lack of resources, the Kootenai County sheriff is enlisting a civilian to investigate some burglary, vandalism and arson cases.

Former sheriff’s animal-control officer Dusty Rhoads has taken over as civilian report-taker. Rhoads will investigate and respond to property crimes.

“The intent will be to free up officers on hot calls,” Sheriff Rocky Watson said.

In the past, deputies have had to respond to break-ins and other crimes but drop them if they got a call about another crime in progress, Watson said.

Rhoads already has responded to embezzlement, burglary and malicious injury calls. And he says he expects more work to come in.

“Whatever it is, you name it,” Rhoads said.

Equipped with a still camera, a video camera, a laptop computer, evidence bags, crime tape and a fingerprint kit, Rhoads processes crime scenes and turns over reports to detectives.

“He’s trained as well or better than our field officers,” Watson said.

Rhoads, who has been with the department since 1989, will continue making his current $15-per-hour pay.

The Sheriff’s Department is seeking a grant to pay for more civilian positions that may be filled with college interns or others not needing as expensive training as a uniformed officer does, Watson said.

The program is modeled after the city of Coeur d’Alene’s program, which was created more than a year ago.

Two full-time civilian report-takers are equipped with vehicles that have crime scene processing materials.

Most of the calls they respond to are property crimes such as burglaries and found property, Capt. Ken Timmons said.

Although those crimes are not as pressing as violent ones, “those are very important to the victims,” Timmons said.