BOISE, Idaho — Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue is now set to serve as a Vice President on the National Sheriffs’ Association’s Executive Committee. Donahue won election during the NSA’s Annual Conference and is now the first Idaho sheriff to be elected to a leadership role in the association’s 81-year history.
Donahue was elected as third Vice President, which puts him in line to become President of the National Sheriffs’ Association in 2024. Donahue, elected Canyon County sheriff in 2012 and now serving in his third term, will have the opportunity to advocate for Idaho and the western region.
During his time as a member of the NSA dating back to 2012, Sheriff Donahue has served on several committees aimed at addressing crucial topics including Border Security, Domestic Violence and Crime Victim Services, Government Affairs, Western States Policy, and Youth Programs and Juvenile Justice.
“I am both honored and humbled to be chosen by my fellow sheriffs to serve on the NSA’s Executive Committee. My ability to provide an Idaho and western perspective on some of the major issues facing law enforcement across our country will be of paramount importance, especially when it comes to the issue of smuggling illegal narcotics into the interior of our country by Mexican cartels, which has become a national security issue,” Donahue said.
The National Sheriffs' Association works very closely in Washington with lawmakers on issues local communities face. Donahue said he is excited and ready to take on big conversations and issues as a leader with the National Sheriffs’ Association’s Executive Committee.
“When things happen in Congress, when bills are being heard, when the Supreme Court is looking to look at cases, the National Sheriff’s Office does a lot of amicus briefs. We are asked constantly to weigh in on those issues before they even get to a congressman before they get to a senator before they get to the Supreme Court. I'm now a part of that discussion, each and every day,” Donahue said. “I'm willing to weigh in on it and give my perspective, but that's just one perspective we want all of our organizations, input so that we can help guide that discussion and really help guide that that decision making.”
Donahue added that there are several Idaho-related issues he is excited to take on, including the current situation at the southern border.
“It's not the good people of Mexico that we're in a battle with, God bless people wanting to make a better life for themselves whether you're from Ecuador or Guatemala or Yemen or Syria or whatever. They're coming here for a reason. We have to set the rhetoric aside, I think that's part of my job, to help with that and put policy in place so that we can give them that opportunity. Because what's happening now is they're being victimized by the Mexican cartels in such dramatic fashion it’s indescribable. It's unspeakable heinous crimes to children to women especially,” Donahue said.
Donahue has seen success locally advocating and raising awareness on issues like domestic violence. He said he feels empowered in his new position to create that same success on a national stage.
“I'm going to be driving that conversation and I'm going to be vocal about it, respectful, professional, but vocal, let's, we have to get to the root of the problem,” Donahue said.
Join 'The 208' conversation:
- Text us at (208) 321-5614
- E-mail us at the208@ktvb.com
- Join our The 208 Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/the208KTVB/
- Follow us on Twitter: @the208KTVB or tweet #the208 and #SoIdaho
- Follow us on Instagram: @the208KTVB
- Bookmark our landing page: /the-208
- And we also turn each episode into a podcast on Podbean
- Still reading this list? We're on YouTube, too: