This week, Boise met the police department’s new L-G-B-T Liaison. The position isn’t new. But it takes on new significance, now that Boise has an anti-discrimination ordinance to protect gays and lesbians when it comes to employment and housing.
Katie Davey has been part of Victim’s Services at the Boise Police Department for a few months. Part of her job is helping those who've been victimized because of their sexual orientation.
Davey says when she took the job, she found out she was the only liaison for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered community in the Treasure Valley. “I said oh no, that has to change. I want to do this right and I want to make sure that everybody is served to the best that they can be and that’s going to take some help from the community.”
Davey’s job is different every day. She could be at a crime scene or in the courtroom. But Davey sees herself as a bridge between the LGBT community and the police department. “The case hits my desk and then I start making contact with that victim in preparation for court that’s coming up.”
Boise’s new non-discrimination ordinance took effect January 1. Davey says that could make a difference in hate crime reports that have nothing to do with job or housing discrimination. “The ordinance not only protects business and housing and employment opportunity, but also opens the lines of communication so that hate crimes can be reported without the fear of retaliation.”
Davey gives this example. Say someone from the LGBT community is assaulted. In the past they may have not reported it fearing that their employer or landlord would find out and take action against them. With Boise’s new ordinance, that individual is protected from being victimized a second time, because of their sexual orientation.
Even though the ordinance only covers Boise, Davey wants to see a LGBT liaison in every jurisdiction in the Treasure Valley, including cities like Nampa, Caldwell, and Meridian. She also wants to create a pamphlet that explains the non-discrimination ordinance and what it means to police and the community.
Copyright 2013 Boise State Public Radio
