St. Maries, Idaho police chief resigns amid department turmoil as state opens investigation

The St. Maries Police Department is under investigation by the Idaho State Police, and two of its top police officials have resigned.

The city signed an agreement with the Benewah County Sheriff’s Office to provide law enforcement coverage, Sheriff Dave Resser said.

“The St. Maries Police Department has two officers still on duty,” Resser said. “Basically we took over the running of the department.”

The investigation began before police Chief Margaret Lehmbecker and Sgt. Doug Yearout abruptly quit in mid-August without providing letters of resignation, Resser said. Lehmbecker had been chief since 2010. No one reportedly knows why they left.

“All of that is conjecture and rumor,” Resser said. “I, like the mayor, don’t have any idea why those two quit.”

Resser said he could not go into detail about the ISP investigation. “Right now it’s need to know,” he said. “The evidence room is sealed off.”

The sheriff’s office is providing two reserve deputies to help staff the police force in the town of about 2,400 residents in rural Benewah County. One of those is a familiar face, former St. Maries police Lt. Bob Loe, who retired in July. Resser said he hired Loe as a reserve deputy to be a school resource officer but has reassigned him to cover his old patrol area.

The sheriff’s office has also opened its evidence room to hold items related to crimes in St. Maries.

The investigation into the Police Department was opened on June 23 at the request of the St. Maries city attorney, said ISP spokeswoman Teresa Baker. She confirmed that the investigation is centered on the evidence room.