Kootenai County Travel Warning

Not funny, non-ironic, scary as shit, real warning.

Kootenai County, one of the whitest Counties in the country, has a reputation for harsh police tactics imposed by a nearly all white police force. As of 2019, Ben Wolfinger is the Sheriff of the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office. If you plan to travel to this area and are a minority, or simply value your constitutional rights, please use extreme caution if you are encountered by a Kootenai County Sheriff’s Deputy or other local law enforcement officers.

Kootenai County Deputies, Coeur D Alene Police, and the Idaho State Police have been reported to falsely accuse people of drug possession, harass out of state racial minorities, feel up teenagers, shoot innocent dogs, detain the free press, prosecute a green beret for protecting his wife (graphic), and other atrocious behavior. If you are planning to visit Silverwood, the Coeur D Alene Resort,  Lake Coeur D Alene or the other attractions of Coeur D Alene or Kootenai County, it is recommended that you take precautions to protect your safety, reputation, and constitutional rights. Deputies have been known to be untruthful about their encounters with citizens, so it’s also encouraged that you video your encounters with all law enforcement. Many deputies and officers now wear body cameras but they do not all use them consistently.

If you are travelling from Washington or Colorado, or another state in which marijuana is legal, it’s imperative that you do not travel with marijuana in your vehicle. The Kootenai County Sheriff, Coeur D Alene Police, and Idaho State Police have been reported to target vehicles with these license plates. In addition, be very cautious if you are carrying a boat or vessel, as it is required that you stop at checkpoints to see if the vessel is carrying invasive species. It’s been reported that law enforcement will station themselves and drug dogs at these checkpoints to capture citizens bringing drugs, particularly marijuana, across the border.

If you have been harassed by one of Ben Wolfinger’s deputies or other law enforcement in North Idaho, please contact the Idaho chapter of the ACLU. Together, we can make it safe for out of state guests, minorities, and lovers of freedom to enjoy Coeur D Alene, Kootenai County, and the great State of Idaho.