Pocatello police chief meets with LGBT community

Pocatello police chief Scott Marchand met with members of the LGBT community Thursday night on ISU’s campus.

Marchand said his goal of the meeting was to try and build community relationships. It was an open meeting where people could voice their concerns and talk about what the police force could potentially do better.

Many people wanted to know if transgender men and women were being put into cells with members of the opposite sex. Many were concerned about the possible dangers of that happening.

Marchand responded by telling them he will talk with the jail commander to work out issues like those. Some other concerns were invisibility and security toward members of the LGBT community. Marchand said these are all things he plans to work on. He said he thinks the meeting went perfect and was very beneficial for him.

“I’m getting my eyes opened slowly,” Marchand said. “But everything here tonight was very respectful and will help us in the future on how we train as a department and for me as an individual and where I think we need to go in the future.”

Amber Miller, who attended the meeting, said she felt it was beneficial too and she’s appreciative that Marchand took the time to sit down and meet with everyone.

“I feel that he listened to us legitimately,” Miller said. “He seemed very sincere and I do believe that he will take action to make sure that interactions between the police department and the LGBT community go well.”

Marchand said he believes a crime is a crime. It doesn’t matter who committed it. He feels everybody should be treated the same.

Marchand said he hopes to be able to have more meetings like this in the future, both with the LGBT community as well as other groups.