SPIRIT LAKE — Residents got a new opportunity to speak directly with local law enforcement this week during Spirit Lake’s first Coffee with the Chief.

The informal gathering at City Hall on Wednesday gave community members a chance to raise concerns, ask questions and share feedback with Police Chief Michael Morlan and the Spirit Lake Police Department.

“I think this community talking together, getting to know each other, is really important because I think we go out and share our experience with our people,” attendee Deneice Hastings said. “People have concerns, and we can share our concerns here, but we can solve them.”

The event grew out of a conversation between Morlan and Spirit Lake Mayor Charlene Phipps about increasing communication between the department and the community.

When Morlan first arrived in Spirit Lake, the department consisted of just two officers, leaving little time for proactive patrols or community engagement. Now that the force has expanded, city leaders saw an opportunity to build stronger relationships with residents.

“We decided to start allowing the citizens to come in and address their police,” Morlan said. “I wanted more involvement in the community and to be able to address citizen issues because, as a chief, I get on social media and I see complaints. Now I get to hear their perspective, discuss with my officers and say, ‘The citizens feel this way,’ and we need to change that.”

The city plans to hold the meetings quarterly, with the option of making them monthly or scheduling additional sessions when significant community issues arise.

“This is not just a one-and-done,” Phipps said. “This is going to be something that's going to be ongoing.”

One of the first concerns raised during the meeting involved young people speeding through town on UTVs, dirt bikes and e-bikes. One attendee noted that, aside from teenagers racing through neighborhoods, there is little for residents to complain about in Spirit Lake.

“We're not going to pursue somebody and cause an accident to chase down a dirt bike,” Morlan said. “But if we do catch them, what we're doing is have their parents come pick the bike up and make them have some accountability for it."

Morlan said repeat offenders could face impoundment of their motorcycles and fines.

“I want you to feel secure to walk out and pick up the newspaper without getting run down by someone on an e-bike or a dirt bike flying through your rose bed garden,” Morlan said.

Other topics discussed included code enforcement, loose dogs and animal control, speeding and overall neighborhood safety.

The atmosphere briefly became tense near the end of the meeting when a misunderstanding arose between Morlan and a resident over whether city sewer funds had been increased to help pay for police services. 

After the meeting concluded, the two spoke privately, and Morlan later joked that they had “hugged it out.”

“I want to ensure that that communication flow is going both ways out to the community, and the community feels like they have a voice,” Morlan said.