A police liaison speaking for the Moorhead Police Department told the Moorhead Human Rights Commission on Nov. 19 that the department’s staffing picture has improved, with “five in training” and “five more that’ll be starting, December 1,” up from a year ago.

The liaison, who said he was filling in for Assistant Chief Afel, also addressed a recent Everbridge emergency notification that some residents interpreted as indicating a broader lockdown. He said the department had used a geofence that covered “about a 4 block range” and acknowledged the message could have been clearer that it applied only to people inside that zone. “Some of the language need to be clarified,” he said, adding the department will revise its wording for future alerts.

Commissioners and the chair raised community confusion that followed the alert. One commissioner said, “Some people thought the schools were locked down, and they were not,” and the chair clarified the notification applied to a limited area, not districtwide school closures.

The police liaison framed the notification choice as erring on the side of safety while promising internal improvements: “We can always do better,” he said. The liaison also described the department’s notification workflow, noting the Everbridge system was used and the alert was geofenced to a small area near the incident.

No formal action or vote was taken on the update. Commissioners said they appreciated the monthly presence of a police liaison as a communication bridge and encouraged continued refinement of community messaging.