Spirit Lake Police Shake-Up Continues New Mayor Lets Office Manager Go, On Heels Of Chief’s Firing

Five days after new Mayor Bob Knapp fired the city’s police chief, the ax fell again.

The mayor on Monday morning called Roxy Martin, office manager for the Police Department, and told her not to bother coming to work, that her $5.50-an-hour job had been eliminated.

“He said they were reorganizing the whole department,” said Martin. “Two weeks ago he was telling me I was doing a great job.”

“Fired her?” said the mayor. “We had an administrative change.”

Her replacement, clerk Jennifer Parker, started work Monday.

The firing further inflamed protesters who’ve been picketing City Hall since Thursday, when the mayor fired Police Chief Jeff Alexander.

“I’m numb, but determined,” said picket Mary Erdahl, standing on the icy sidewalk as passing cars honked their support. “We’re not going to give up.”

At a contentious meeting Thursday, the City Council approved the mayor’s proposal to eliminate the position of police chief. The mayor said Alexander couldn’t get along with City Hall workers. The city has hired two former city police officers, Monty Reynolds and Shawn Haggard, to bolster the patrol force.

Since Haggard was close with former chief Steve Durkin, his hiring stirred some residents’ fears that Durkin will be rehired. Durkin resigned in 1992, under fire from citizens and other police agencies for unprofessional conduct, endangering fellow officers, and buffoonery.

“I predict Durkin will be hired by January,” said picket Teresa Morgan.

The mayor flatly denied he’ll ever hire Durkin.

“Absolutely not,” he said. “Durkin will not be hired here, as a patrolman or police chief.”

Until recently, Durkin was police chief of Mabton, Wash., a small town of hops fields and vineyards in the Yakima Valley. Haggard worked for him there as a reserve officer.

Mabton City Administrator Ildia Jackson said Durkin spoke a lot about Spirit Lake.

“Through a current City Council member, Durkin was putting pressure to get the current chief fired,” Jackson recalled. “He still had contact with the city clerk up there and a council member. He said he was going to get the chief fired. But he never really indicated why.”

Durkin, who has a Spirit Lake phone number, couldn’t be reached for comment Monday evening.

For his part, the mayor said he’s being pilloried for just trying to bring peace to City Hall.

“I’m trying to get it all so we function as one,” he said. “I’ve had little old ladies come up and hug me and say their church is praying for me.”

He said the protesters, although vocal, are a minority. He said many citizens and business owners support Alexander’s removal.

“Otherwise, you’d have 900 people here (picketing), instead of 10.”

One supporter of the mayor was Florence Estes, who stopped into City Hall Monday.

“I think it’s unfortunate that the group outside, that is picketing and carrying on, is so vocal and negative,” she said. “I think it’s unfortunate that the media gives the impression that this is the view of the majority of people.”

“I’m sure that the mayor and the council people have reason to do what they’ve done,” she said.

The city was struggling Monday to keep its police department going. Newly appointed Councilman Ed Hanna was phoning suppliers to try to buy new radios and police badges.

Hanna said he won’t be administrator of the department. The city, he said, may advertise for one police and public works administrator.

Also Monday, City Hall critics pushed ahead with a recall effort for Councilwoman Tina Spadt, who voted to oust the police chief. The term of Councilman Rod Erickson, another yes vote, ends this month.

Hanna and the mayor cannot be subject to recall until they’ve been in office 90 days, the secretary of state’s office said Monday.

Still, critics have started a petition asking him to step down voluntarily.

“Everybody is upset,” said petition organizer Sandy Faubion.

She said a senior citizens group and “Teens for Honest Government” also are gathering signatures.

One of the people who had signed those petitions was Roxy Martin, the police department office manager who was fired Monday.

, DataTimes