West Coast States Losing Officers to Idaho

Seth Horst used to avoid telling strangers what he did for a living. "Police officer" felt like a four-letter word in 2020, especially in California.

Fast-forward a year and Horst stood with his family in downtown Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, watching fire trucks and police cars roll through the street for the city's Independence Day celebration. The Kootenai County sheriff waved at residents from the back of a pickup truck, a revolver snug against his hip, Horst recalled. Cars, homes and businesses around town display the blue line flag year-round, and Horst told Fox News said it's not unusual for people to offer to buy coffee for police when they see them out in the streets.

"That is so powerful for the men and women in uniform up here to have that backing," said Horst, who left California Highway Patrol and started a real estate business in North Idaho. "It's a pretty phenomenal place to do the job."

Idaho has become a popular moving destination for both retired and active-duty police officers, a trend Horst and Idaho Fraternal Order of Police President Bryan Lovell broadly attribute to a more positive climate.

"They come to Idaho where they can enjoy their career and make a difference," Lovell told Fox News Digital . "They see that, in large part, our communities are supportive of law enforcement and public safety."