In his 33-year law enforcement career, Lee White was shot at and stabbed. He performed CPR on a toddler who fell into a pool. He led SWAT teams into life-and-death situations. 

But he faced worse. 

“The hardest thing I did in my career, ever, was I had to tell an entire room full of people waiting for news about Greg Moore, that Greg Moore had died,” White said, referencing the fatal 2015 shooting of the Coeur d’Alene police sergeant. 

“I had to see the impact that had on the men and women who knew Greg and worked with him. That was the worst,” White said. 

Coeur d’Alene’s 11-year police chief recently announced he was retiring in January. He will leave a legacy of reduced crime and a calm demeanor that led the department through situations that put the city of about 55,000 people in the national spotlight. 

It’s not his accomplishments he wants to talk about as he sits in his office at police headquarters on Schreiber Way. It’s those of patrol officers, detectives, captains and others on the force that have made Coeur d’Alene into one of the safest towns in Idaho. 

Since White's arrival, the city has seen a 78% drop in crime, even as the population grew by more than 22,000 residents. Today, Coeur d’Alene has fewer crime victims than it did in the 1980s. 

For that, he credits “intelligence-led policing.” 

It’s more than responding to crimes, but a proactive approach. 

“I ask our cops to do three big things,” he said. 

They are: Respond to service calls; when they have time, get out of their patrol cars, talk to residents, develop relationships, so people feel comfortable telling police if something is going on; and “find felons and throw them in jail.” 

“That policing model has worked very, very well,” White said. 

He said police review crime statistics constantly to determine if there are hot spots they should focus on. Response plans are in place to deal with certain situations. 

“We're very effective at it,” White said. “We've had very good success. The crime rates reflect that.” 

White said at one time, gangs started to make inroads into Coeur d’Alene, but were stopped.

“Largely because of the men and women out there in uniform in Coeur d'Alene, we were able to get that back under control and we still have the safe city you see today,” he said. 

Those who wake up planning to commit crimes don’t come to Coeur d’Alene, White said. 

“They know there is a high likelihood one of my cops is going to find them doing something illegal and put them in jail, so they stay over in Spokane,” he said. 

Policing in Mesa 

White grew up in Phoenix. His father, Lee, was a police officer. 

After serving six years with the Marines, White considered a pre-law degree. 

“It turns out that was boring as hell,” he said. “Law enforcement sounded a lot more up my alley. I always wanted to help people. I felt I could do the most good there.” 

He joined the Mesa Police Department as an officer in 1993. Over the next 22 years, he worked his way up the ranks: sergeant, lieutenant, commander, deputy chief, assistant chief.  

It was around 1994 that White was stabbed in the face four times while fighting with a suspect. 

He didn’t get much sympathy, and a scar remains near his left eye.

“They gave me 400 stitches and sent me on my way that night,” he said, smiling.

White led several police sections in Mesa, including SWAT, organized crime, undercover squads, warrants, K-9, gangs and task force personnel, including FBI, DEA and U.S. Marshal’s task force members. He handled numerous major police operations, including officer-involved shootings, homicides, sex crimes and kidnapping investigations.

He had to use his firearm on duty and said no amount of training can prepare an officer for the emotions that follow. 

“This person was trying to kill me or one of my friends. The bottom line is, it’s important for us to win those fights and go home,” he said. 

While he was dedicated to his career, the Phoenix heat gradually wore on him and he began to look for a cooler climate. Relatives had moved to Coeur d’Alene, and when White and his wife, Kristi, visited, they loved it. 

White recalled a day when he responded to several SWAT calls and when he finally got home, it was about 2 a.m. The temperature was still 103 degrees. 

That was enough, he decided.

"I said, 'As soon as I am eligible to retire, I’m getting the hell out of Phoenix,'" he said, laughing. 

Leading Coeur d'Alene police

He landed the job of police chief in Coeur d’Alene and arrived in September 2014.  

White led the police department through the slaying of Sgt. Greg Moore in 2015; the June 2020 night when hundreds of armed men and women patrolled downtown Coeur d’Alene due to rumors of rioters headed there; arrests of Patriot Front members in 2022 reportedly headed to a pride event in City Park; a racial incident in downtown Coeur d’Alene involving a women’s college basketball team that drew national attention in 2024; a fire that destroyed a building with millions of dollars of police gear and equipment in 2024; and the shooting of Coeur d’Alene firefighters at Canfield Mountain earlier this year.   

But more than any single incident, he said, what is important for the police chief is his impact on the city and the folks wearing badges.

“It's the relationships you have with the men and women who work here,” White said. 

He said Coeur d’Alene is different from many cities in that its residents like the police. He appreciates the community's consistent support of its officers, who respond to 911 calls when people are having what he called is likely their worst day. 

“Officers here, they’ve seen horrible, horrible things by the nature of the job,” he said. “That’s not something they generally put in the brochure.” 

Officers, White said, are oftentimes taken for granted, but shouldn’t be. He said what they see and do doesn’t disappear at the end of a shift. 

“There are good days and too many bad days,” he said. “We truly get to see the worst of society. It stays with you.” 

Time to retire

White decided earlier this year, it was time to give up his badge. A typical work week was 50-60 hours and he worked more weekends than he got off.

“I’m positive I worked more than any other department head in the city,” he said, smiling.

He said he and his wife want to stay in the area. He plans to ski, hunt, fish, spend holidays with the family and a scuba diving trip to the Caribbean is in order. 

“I mostly want to spend time with the family,” he said.

No matter where he goes or what he does, White said he will be proud of the Coeur d'Alene Police Department.

“The men and women of the Coeur d’Alene Police Department have done a fantastic job, not only reducing crime in our community, but also reducing the fear of crime in our community while at the same time building ties with members of our community,” he added.