Post Falls' interim police chief is out, but the reason is unclear. A transparency advocate says the public has a right to know why

Post Falls interim Police Chief Jason Mealer does not work for the police department anymore, according to city Administrator Shelly Enderud.

Enderud said Mealer's last day of employment was Wednesday, but declined to explain the circumstances of his departure. He was on leave the roughly five or six weeks leading up to the end of his employment with the city, Enderud said. She declined to say why he was on leave.

Enderud said Capt. Mark Brantl is serving as acting police chief until a permanent chief is selected.

Mealer, who had been a captain before his promotion, took over as interim chief in October after Chief Greg McLean, who spent 36 years with Post Falls police, retired.

Enderud said city officials put the search for a new police chief on hold and will make a decision in the next week or two about how they will proceed with filling the permanent chief role.

Deputy Administrator Warren Wilson said earlier this month the city conducted interviews for the permanent chief position. Mealer and Stu Miller, a Post Falls police employee who retired from the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office, were the final candidates Mayor Randy Westlund was considering. The City Council would then accept or reject Westlund's nomination.

Mealer started his law enforcement career as a dispatcher for the Idaho County Sheriff's Office in 1999 before transferring to patrol in 2000, according to the Post Falls police website. He spent several years in Iraq and Afghanistan, training and mentoring their police in democratic policing .

Mealer has served as a member of the dive team, SWAT team and bike team in Post Falls. He was a SWAT team leader and commander, as well as a field training officer during his time with Post Falls police.

City officials have remained tight-lipped about the reason for Mealer's leave and end of employment with the police department, citing the Idaho Public Records Act, which exempts most personnel records from disclosure.

But, a public official's "employment history" and "status" are public record under the state statute, which Idaho Press Club President Melissa Davlin said is key regarding Mealer.

She argued that whether Mealer was fired or resigned falls under his employment history.

"When it comes to public trust and transparency, I would urge Post Falls to err on the side of disclosure," Davlin said.

City officials in other parts of Idaho have announced in recent years the firings and resignations of their police leaders.

Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee resigned in 2022 at the mayor's request after several Boise police employees filed complaints against Lee. City officials announced when Lee's resignation would take effect and that he would be placed on leave until then.

Middleton Mayor Steven Rule noted in a 2022 news release that an investigation revealed policy violations and leadership failure in the city police department that led Chief Alan Takeuchi to resign.

Also in 2022, Mountain Home Mayor Rich Sykes announced in a news release that he fired Chief Scott Conner, and the City Council approved the termination.

An InvestigateWest story that published earlier this year said the Idaho Department of Correction and Peace Officer Standards and Training will no longer publicly release whether an officer retired, resigned or was fired. The governor's office supports the state agencies' change, noting its new interpretation of the state's Public Records Act, InvestigateWest reported.

The governor's office, Department of Correction and Idaho Division of Human Resources say the reason a public official is no longer employed is not public information, according to InvestigateWest's story.

Davlin said exemptions of personnel records under the state law exist to protect specific information, like complaints and reprimands from superiors, but she believes basic details outlining reasons for a police chief's departure from an agency is public information.

Whether Mealer was fired, resigned or otherwise, Davlin said the public deserves to know because a police chief is one of the most high-profile and highest-paying taxpayer-funded jobs in a city. The reason for his departure could affect public safety as well, she said.

Davlin said the Post Falls police chief situation also points to the issue that Idaho does not have a mediation mechanism for public records disputes other than to sue. She said public agencies have the upper hand because they know news organizations typically don't take them to court.

"This gets to the heart of this broader issue, is this isn't just about one disagreement with one agency," she said. "When you have different interpretations of the same public records law, you really need a mediation mechanism, and this is exactly why."

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.