Resident urges clearer policing and jurisdictional communication after trespass on annexed property

At the Nov. 6 meeting, resident Cheryl Roberts Long Hibbler described an incident on annexed Hickory Lick property in which she found an unattended vehicle in the woods near a fiber-optic cable easement, said she called the city non-emergency number and initially received no timely response, and later learned county officers responded after staff notifications.

Hibbler said she was uncertain whether the land was patrolled by city or county officers after annexation and that the delayed response made her feel unsafe; she reported following up with a staff member (referred to in the transcript as Mr. Strakaoff/Strokhoff) who said the issue would be addressed. A county officer ran the license plate and said the vehicle had not been reported stolen and suggested the occupants may have been hunting; Hibbler said she was focused on safety rather than hunting questions.

Commission members acknowledged the problem and shared the city’s non-emergency number (456-7088) for residents. Chair and staff said the commission itself cannot resolve patrol jurisdiction but thanked Hibbler for bringing the issue to their attention and indicated staff would continue to follow up. Hibbler said she would call 911 or the non-emergency number in future incidents so dispatch can determine whether city or county should respond.

What happens next: staff said they would follow up on jurisdictional communications; residents were advised to use the non-emergency number or 911 for immediate safety concerns.