WORLEY — Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris and Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police Chief Rob Wienclaw fielded questions from community members Thursday night during a town hall meeting.

About a dozen Worley residents gathered at the City Hall Senior Center, where law enforcement leaders highlighted the longstanding partnership between their agencies and discussed challenges facing area police today. 

Substance abuse issues remain a major concern throughout North Idaho, Norris said, particularly fentanyl, a synthetic opioid estimated by the Centers for Disease Control to be more potent than morphine. 

“Fentanyl is still the biggest one,” he said. 

Even so, Norris said law enforcement agencies are seeing less fentanyl in North Idaho than they did a year ago. 

Authorities attribute this shift partly to recent legislation establishing mandatory minimum sentences for fentanyl traffickers. The bill also adds provisions for the crime of “drug-induced homicide,” which means a person can be charged with a felony for supplying drugs that later kill someone. 

“People do not like to come to Idaho to deliver drugs now,” Wienclaw said. 

Community members described concerns about children riding four-wheelers and motorized scooters in the street at high speeds. 

Wienclaw said he’s observed the activities himself. 

“We try to do a lot of education with the kids around here,” he said. 

Norris said the Idaho Sheriff’s Association, a nonprofit composed of former sheriffs and law enforcement officers that advocates on behalf of sheriffs, is likely to ask Idaho legislators to address the topic. Fast-moving electric bikes and scooters can create dangerous situations, he said. 

“It’s certainly on my radar and something we’re going to have to address,” he said. 

Wienclaw said the subject should be taken seriously. 

“It is a danger,” he said. “We’ve got to address it.” 

For more than 20 years, the sheriff’s office has cross-deputized officers with the Coeur d’Alene Tribal Police Department. 

Norris said this special deputy status enables quick response times from tribal police officers, who are certified under the Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training program, just like officers with other Idaho agencies. It's especially helpful for incidents that are in progress or have recently occurred, when sheriff’s deputies may be far away. 

“If a non-tribal member wants a deputy sheriff, then we’ll respond,” Norris said. 

    Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris speaks with Worley residents.