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Minot resident urges city action after years of alleged harassment by neighbor; staff cites new guardianship petition
Summary
At the Feb. 18 Minot City Council meeting, resident Craig Gerhardt described years of harassment of his family by a neighbor known in testimony as "Aaron," and asked the city to help find a solution. Staff said a guardianship petition was filed yesterday and that state-level avenues and a proposed House bill could expand options for referrals.
Craig Gerhardt, a Minot resident, told the City Council on Feb. 18 that a neighbor he identified as “Aaron” has repeatedly harassed children and adults in his neighborhood for more than a decade, and that criminal charges have repeatedly been dismissed after evaluations found the neighbor may lack the capacity to stand trial.
Gerhardt said the behavior has escalated in recent years and described incidents in which the neighbor allegedly followed children, made sexualized comments about minors’ feet, threatened a child and assaulted people in the neighborhood. “I want my daughter to be able to go outside and feel like she can play without being harassed,” Gerhardt said during his five-minute public appearance.
Why it matters: The exchange highlighted a tension the city faces when alleged criminal conduct is intertwined with severe mental-health issues. Multiple callers and the police have generated a long record of calls for service, but prosecutors and courts have sometimes dismissed charges after mental-health evaluations, leaving neighbors seeking alternative remedies such as guardianship or civil commitments.
Council and staff responses described a multi-agency effort underway to find a sustainable solution. City staff said they have contacted Protection and Advocacy, Vulnerable Adult Protective Services, regional social-service providers, the Attorney General’s office and community partners. City staff reported that a private petitioner — identified by staff as Catholic Charities — filed a petition seeking full guardianship of the individual “yesterday,” and that the city is coordinating with the petitioner and with police to assemble a packet of the incident records to support that action.
City Manager Harold told the council the city has been working with the North Dakota League of Cities on a change to state law (House Bill 1032) that would allow municipal courts to refer individuals for mental-health evaluation — a procedural route staff said is not broadly available today. Harold added that “if that bill were to pass . . . it’s going to give us an avenue that we didn’t have available here before.”
Police leaders told the council they continue to respond to calls for service and are constrained by state procedures for involuntary committals and by court determinations about competency. Sgt. Foley and Chief Kelly (police) said referrals and partnerships with social-service agencies have been pursued but acknowledged the frustration of residents and officers. As Chief Kelly put it during the meeting, “we will continue to respond when you call us.”
What next: Staff told Gerhardt they will connect him with the attorney handling the guardianship petition and will make the compiled police incident packet available to the petitioner and the state’s attorney. Councilmembers encouraged staff to keep pressing social-service partners and the state’s attorney’s office for progress.
Separately, councilmembers discussed the legal limits of municipal action on involuntary commitments and guardianship, noting that the state’s attorney typically must initiate certain involuntary-commitment procedures while private guardianship petitions can be filed by organizations or individuals. Staff asked to continue coordination with Gerhardt and with the guardianship petitioner and to return with updates as the petition proceeds.
