The main item on the agenda at the Lisbon Council meeting on Tuesday evening, May 6, was concerns brought by a group of ten business people and other citizens. Debbie Jensen, who owns several businesses in the Lisbon area, opened the group’s presentation by explaining that she had asked to be placed on the agenda because she had major concerns about the future of Lisbon. She read a statement in which she stated she has always been proud of the city of Lisbon, but is now “sad and scared” instead. She went on to state that instead of being a busy business hub, the city has now become a town to be avoided. She pointed out that it has become hard to have a conversation in Lisbon without someone complaining about the police. She explained that every day she hears people voicing their concern that the overzealous police are driving shoppers away from Lisbon. “People need to feel welcome in Lisbon again,” she added. “They don’t feel they need to come here if they are going to be harassed.”

 

Tim Jensen, Debbie’s husband and a local bar owner, read a statement in which he addressed Mayor Cole’s comment, quoted in the Gazette, about being concerned about a one percent drop in sales tax in Lisbon while other communities in the area were seeing increases in sales. Jensen went on to say that he feels the decrease in sales stems from the fact that people are afraid to come to Lisbon for fear they will get picked up by the police for some petty indiscretion such as not stopping for three seconds at a stop sign. “People are intimidated by our police,” he said. “We need law enforcement, but the officers need to use some common sense. It has gotten to the point where people are more afraid of the police than of the people who the police are hired to protect them from.”

Jensen commented on a county sheriff’s deputy who had been quoted in the newspaper as saying that the expected influx of construction workers this summer would bring with it a bigger need for jail beds. He said instead of being happy that the community would be having more people coming in to bring in more sales revenue, he instead had focused on the negative. “When does it (police work) go from protection to pressure?” asked Jensen. “I am asking you (the council) to stand up for the future of this town. We have some major concerns here!”

Jensen added that business at bars as well as other Lisbon retail establishments has gone down and on weekends, especially, Lisbon streets are bare. Terry Thompson, another area businessman, stated that if the trend continues, more businesses will be forced to close. “We want police protection,” he said. “But do you have to constantly throw the book at people for minor things? Wouldn’t it be better to back off a little?”

Joe Poulin, another local bar owner, stated that he had done a survey in which he had chosen three people, at random, from each of several surrounding communities. He asked the people to comment on how they felt about the city of Lisbon, and, he said, none had any good comments.  “They all said they avoid Lisbon because of our overzealous police force,” he said.

Patty Carlblom, a former Ransom County employee and commissioner and lifetime area resident, stated that people in Milnor have told her they don’t want to come to Lisbon anymore because they are afraid of being picked up by the police for some insignificant traffic violation. She added that she has heard the same type of comments from people in Fort Ransom. “The theme seems to have become ‘pursue and prosecute’ or ‘arrest and intimidate,’” she said. “I have heard many people comment that they do not want their sales tax dollars to come to Lisbon, so they shop elsewhere. The fact is that I used to be a firm supporter of shopping at home, but now I keep a list and get what I need in Fargo when I go to visit my kids. The reason I have to go there to visit them is because they don’t want to come home, because of police harassment. The price of gas should help small towns by keeping people at home, but, for Lisbon, that does not seem to be the case.”

“It’s just the past couple years that the problem has arisen,” stated Carlblom. “It is not just a city issue. It is county-wide.”

Duane Johnson, who manages the Lisbon Eagles Club, told of being followed home several times by a law enforcement vehicle after pausing at the stop light on his way home late at night after closing the clubhouse.

Comments were made about the city and county law enforcement officers needing to work together. However, the group stated that they felt the two departments were now working too closely. They told of city officers following people out of town and reporting people speeding to the sheriff’s department.

In conclusion, Debbie Jensen asked the council, “How can we repair this? Please don’t just sweep this problem under the rug. See what can be done to remedy the situation.”

John Otterson, city council member, stated that he had heard similar comments before. He said he believed the state highway patrol officers might be causing the biggest problem by being what he considered “too tough.”  “This tends to put a black eye on all law enforcement officers,” he said.”

Tim Meyer stated that he had also heard a lot of talk. “There must be a problem that needs to be dealt with,” he commented.

“How do you suggest we fix it?” LyDell Mairs asked the citizen group. “Do you want us, as a city council, to micromanage the police department?”

Mayor Ross Cole asked the group to give Police Chief Jeannette Persons a chance to respond.  “We’ve heard stories on the street, too,” stated Persons. “But they are way off base. A couple of years ago I met with bar owners in an attempt to get on the same page with them. This year we did our first compliance check for businesses which sell alcohol. Two businesses passed – two failed. I just gave those who didn’t pass a warning, but informed them that it would be their last. I then offered server training – another attempt to get on the same page. Two took us up on it – two did not.”

Persons went on to comment that she did not believe the number of citations her department has issued recently is up from years past. She reminded those in attendance that the court report in the paper is county-wide, not just the city of Lisbon. 

“I believe in protecting and serving,” Persons said. “I want people to be able to go home and be safe. I believe education and prevention is a big part of maintaining citizen’s safety. You will have to decide if you want a police department that will protect you or one which will turn its back on crime.”

“I am certainly not out to hurt business in Lisbon,” Persons added. “I want the community’s businesses to thrive.”

In answer to comments about picking people up for “swerving,” she said, “When we see a driver swerving, we stop them, not because we suspect they may have been drinking, but to see if we can help. There may be a medical condition causing them to drive erratically. When you talk about working together with the sheriff’s department and/or highway patrol, there is a reason for that. In this day and age with alcohol and drug problems, etc., we never know what we may have to deal with when we stop someone. When I hear a call of someone being stopped, if I’m in the area, I stop to see if the officer needs help. I don’t do it to intimidate, I do it to help both the officer and the person in the vehicle.”

Persons suggested that she could contact the sheriff’s department and highway patrol and set up a public forum at which people could air their concerns in public instead of feeding the rumor mill. The law officers, she said, would be glad to answer any questions that they have.  

Cole suggested that the group take their concerns to the county and the state highway department as well. He stated that the police committee could discuss their concerns, but that the county board and the sheriff needed to hear the concerns as well.  

Councilman Tom McKinnon suggested that the citizens’ group come back to the council in a couple months to see what had been done regarding the situation.

Later in the meeting, after the group had left the council chambers, McKinnon again asked what the council was going to do about addressing the group’s concerns. Cole stated that the matter should be handled by the council’s police committee, which consists of John Otterson, Tim Meyer, and Tom McKinnon.