About Us

Dear Honorable Idaho Law Enforcement retirees;

After several years of numerous meetings and lots of discussion, brainstorming, and effort, the necessary paperwork was completed for the State, and we formed the Idaho Retired Law Enforcement Association (IRLEA) in March of 2013.

Several retired officers stepped forward with donated monies to get the Association officially chartered, recognized, and an official web site developed.  Those Charter Members are Kelly Donahue, Jane Gabbert, Bob Gholson, Frank Hoffer, Randy Holst, Bill Jones, Mike Laky, Vicki Linderborn, Barb Lutz, Mike Monroe, Jim Montgomery, Skip Nakashima, Sharrol Olsen, Jim Parkhouse, Larry Plott, Steve Pyle, Gene Rapp, Larry Richards, Larry Roberson, Mike Roberts, Jim Shippy, Tony Taylor, Rick Townsend, Stan Wood, Dale Woodcook and Gil Wright.

The following retired officers, Dan Charbonneau retired ISP, Myrna Harris retired ACSO, Mary Jo and Scott Dickson retired ACSO, Mike Roberts retired ACSO, and myself, Larry Plott retired Idaho POST Academy, started the engines running.   Lights and radio were missing but they were added as more members became involved with their action stories, pictures, and happenings in their individual area of law enforcement, complete with how they are involved in life now.

Over the years so many of the retired officers commented that once they retire, they were completely out of contact with colleagues and friends they served with.  They want to know what the retired police community is doing, what’s new in the profession, and existing opportunities for them to get involved including volunteer, part time and limited pay work.

 For Example, POST Academy has said they would be interested in hiring retired officers as Instructors, observers, evaluators, advisors, counselors, and monitors on a part time basis.  Several sheriffs’ departments need extra help during the summer for boat patrol, backcountry patrol, search and rescue operations etc.

With budgets getting tighter and more part time workers being put into the workforce to cut expenses on health care it could be a great opportunity for retired officers to earn a little pocket money.  Each one of you has so much to offer through police history, knowledge and life experiences.

For several years, after my retirement, I worked part time for Elmore County Sheriff’s Department as a backcountry deputy serving Pine, Featherville, Atlanta, and Prairie.  This was a very rewarding and beneficial experience to be able to visit, listen and provide some guidance and insight for the younger officers in the trenches now. They need our ears to listen and sometimes our advice to relieve some of their burdens.

Membership:                                                                                                                                                                                           The Idaho Retired Law Enforcement Association, www.irlea.org, is open to all retired (in good standing) commissioned & non-commissioned law enforcement.

• Charter Member: Original members that donated funds to help us get started.
• Gold Member: Retired (in good standing) ‘commissioned’ and ‘non-commissioned’ law enforcement ($20.00 a year)
• Lifetime Member: Retired (in good standing) ‘commissioned’ and ‘non-commissioned’ law enforcement. (Onetime fee of $200.00)
• Associate Member: ($20.00 a year)
• People that were in law enforcement for ten years or more and left in good standing.
• Widow/Widower of former IRLEA Member

Dues: One Year Membership - $20.00, or a one-time fee of $200 for a Lifetime Membership.  All yearly dues are due on June 1st of every year.

Benefits of becoming a member of IRLEA;

• IRLEA membership card (I will place an order for your membership card in a couple weeks.  I have to wait until I have ten or more orders before they will print them.)
• Access to the IRLEA Website (www.irlea.org)
• Access to the membership directory
• Access to over 5000+ documents and pictures dating back to the 20’s & 30’s (This is an on-going project and all pictures and documents have not been uploaded to the website yet.)
• Calendar with upcoming events, regularly scheduled coffee or lunch meetings throughout the state that we are told about.
• Access to IRLEA Facebook Page.
• Emails of interest with updates regarding upcoming retirements, upcoming events, job opportunities, if someone is sick and needs help, and if someone passes away.
• Annual picnic.
• Anyone who has been a member for 3 years or more, upon their passing, will receive a Customized Paver placed in perpetuity at the Idaho Peace Officers Memorial in their name.
• A beautiful clear with thin blue line acrylic plaque will be presented to the deceased IRLEA members family.  The plaque is engraved with the IRLEA Logo, the members name and EOW (End of Watch) date.

If you have pictures that you would like to share, please contact Myrna Harris at 208-484-8530 or via email at myrna@irlea.org 

Name for the Association:  The board had lots of ideas and acronyms for the association but each time we submitted our idea it was already spoken for, so we decided on IRLEA, Idaho Retired Law Enforcement Association.

Annual Membership Meeting: The annual membership meeting is immediately following the Police Officer Memorial at POST in May of every year, lunch is provided.

Annual Picnic: An annual picnic/BBQ is held every year for all IRLEA members and their spouses.

Regional Meetings:

COEUR d'Alene: It is our hope that retired law enforcement groups will start their own local meetings, such as the ISP retired officers in Coeur d’Alene who meet the first Friday of each month at the Sergeants Café in Hayden Lake.  This is not just for retired ISP but all retired officers are encouraged to attend with their wives.

BOISE:

What: ‘First Monday' Lunch meeting - When:  First Monday of every month - 1100 to 1300 - Where: Casa Mexico, 10332 West Fairview Ave, Boise.

What: Coffee or Breakfast - When: Every Tuesday – 0815 - Where: Rocky’s Diner – 3900 W. Overland Rd, Boise (336-2878)

What:  Coffee or Breakfast - When:  Every Wednesday - 0930 - Where: Eddie’s Dinner - 7067 W. Overland Rd.  (377-3340)

What: Coffee - When: Every Thursday - 1400 - Where: Star Country Cafe, Star

CANYON COUNTY CHAPTER IRLEA:

When: Meet the third Thursday of every month from 1130 - 1300 Where: Golden Palace, 703 Main Street, Caldwell

ELMORE COUNTY/MOUNTAIN HOME:  Retired LE officers from Elmore County and surrounding area meet every Wednesday from 1000 to 1200 at AJ's Cafe, 1130 US-20 in Mountain Home

If you know of other groups that are meeting regularly throughout the state, please let us know and we will add that information to our calendar.

Respectfully,

Larry Plott, Immediate Past President IRLEA