ADA COUNTY — Ada County Sheriffs Office has seen an increase in calls to their emergency dispatch from people complaining about Mayor McLean's mask mandate and residents reporting others for not wearing a mask.
The Sheriff's Office is encouraging the public not to call the emergency dispatch to report someone who's not wearing a mask, but to instead use other non-emergency resources.
“Our emergency communication officers certainly stand ready for any call that comes in, but making sure that we are getting the most appropriate calls into our center and not delaying the response for emergencies certainly helps us a lot,” said Director of Communications for Ada County Sheriffs Office, Andrea Dearden.
On the fourth of July Boise Mayor, Lauren McLean issued a public health order requiring all of Boise to wear a face mask. This comes after Ada County experienced a spike in COVID-19 cases in the past week.
Dearden wants the public to know that Ada County dispatches will answer any and every call, but is urging the public to keep the emergency line open for more serious situations.
"Our primary concern is the 911 call that comes in for somebody that needs immediate help from a firefighter or a paramedic or a police officer," said Dearden.
If you have a non-emergency question or concern, she recommends calling their non-emergency dispatch at (208) 377- 6790.
"If you're going to call and report something, definitely know the difference between a life or death emergency and something that can wait, or something that is better handled by perhaps calling the front desk of the Mayor's office," said Dearden.
