POST FALLS — Police Chief Greg McLean recently appealed to the City Council to support an ordinance concerning police access to buildings in certain circumstances. The ordinance passed unanimously. 

"Time is life," McLean said.

The measure came before the planning and zoning commission in November and defines emergency situations as those requiring urgent action to prevent imminent harm, assist in medical responses, prevent evidence destruction or stop fleeing suspects. 

"This is really saying here’s a key so you can get in faster as opposed to us breaking a door," said Councilor Samantha Steigleder.

McLean said that in February 2024, a father of a 2-year-old was concerned about his ex-wife potentially hurting their child while intoxicated.

"We were not able to get into the access control area," McLean said.

It took 15 minutes and the help of the dispatch center to gain access to the apartment complex, McLean said.

"We're seeing an increase in developments with this kind of common area with key access," McLean said. 

The wording of the ordinance would give the chief of police authorization to require the building's owner to give responders access to common areas of an apartment complex or gated community.

Prosecutor Eileen McGovern said there are already civil liabilities for officers in the event of unwanted access. 

"The consequences for failure to conform to constitutional standards regarding exigent circumstances would be suppression of evidence," McGovern said.

Exigency refers to legal circumstances that allow police officers to perform certain actions without a warrant and not offend the Fourth Amendment such as the imminent risk of injury, destruction of evidence and hot pursuit/escape of a suspect.