Mayor Offers To Reinstate Police Chief With Majority Of Votes, Knapp Willing To Go Against Council

Backed up against the wall by his critics, Spirit Lake Mayor Bob Knapp flung down the gauntlet.

Less than three weeks after the City Council fired Police Chief Jeff Alexander, Knapp offered to reinstate the chief - if a majority of the town’s voters approve.

Knapp’s supporters predicted Tuesday that they could gather the needed 342 signatures.

“If you can do that,” Knapp told the former police chief’s supporters late Monday night, “then by God, I’d do it (hire him back) in a minute. That’s my job.”

The decision moves the divisive debate over the chief’s firing from City Hall to Spirit Lake’s cafes and living rooms.

Already, businesses are being boycotted, City Hall was picketed, and one citizen Monday charged that an irate councilman recently made an obscene gesture toward a picketer.

The ugliness went up a notch over the weekend, when an anonymous supporter of the mayor forged Robert Root’s signature on a letter to the community. The letter claimed the police chief was “partying with the druggies, riding with the bikers and attending the battered women’s meetings at the city’s expense…”

Root said he was appalled when he saw his signature at the bottom.

Restaurant owner Sandy Faubion said the police chief’s supporters will soon go door-to-door to gather the necessary 342 signatures. A recall campaign prompted by the police chief’s firing has already gathered 180 signatures to oust the mayor and two council members, she said.

With little discussion, the City Council fired Alexander on Nov. 30. Five days later, Knapp fired police department office manager Roxy Martin. The referendum agreed to Monday includes rehiring Martin.

The mayor’s promise Monday - supported by the council - came more than four hours into a town meeting called to discuss the “state of the city.”

About 105 people attended. The crowd fell silent as Knapp began his explanation for the firing, saying there was “no working relationship” between the police department and workers at City Hall.

“This was the best way I knew to solve the problem and get it all straightened out administratively,” said Knapp. He wants to hire a director of public safety to oversee the department and some public works functions.

The silence turned to shouts as citizens protested.

“You’ve succeeded in tearing our little community apart,” said Faubion, a leader of the recall effort.

“What you’re doing is causing yourself to have an empire,” said Root, who opposed Knapp in the election.

Knapp conceded that he may have acted too quickly, but wouldn’t agree to re-hire Alexander. Instead, he agreed to the referendum. Alexanders supporters have 60 days to gather signatures.

The mayor maintains that he is representing the city’s silent majority that was dissatisfied with the police department.

, DataTimes