The owner of a downtown Fort Dodge bar told the City Council Monday that her business is declining because a police officer is constantly pulling over her clients.

Shanda Marks, who owns The Brass Monkey at 15 N. 10th St., said her business has declined 50 to 70 percent because customers won’t come out because they fear being pulled over.

“I’m not the only business this is happening to,” she said.

She asserted that one particular officer, who she never named, is circling the area around her bar and making all of the traffic stops. She asserted that he is in a competition with an officer in Humboldt to see who can make the most drunk driving arrests.

Richard Francis, a Fort Dodge resident who has complained to the council previously about the Police Department, told the elected officials Monday that the police are harassing people.

“The city needs to take a look at how the officers are interacting with the public,” he said.

Francis said any complaint filed against the police is dismissed without any serious investigation.

He said he believes Police Chief Dennis Quinn should be fired.

While making complaints about the police, Francis has been the subject of criminal complaints. Court records show that he is awaiting trial on charges of third degree harassment and perjury.

Mayor Matt Bemrich declined to comment on the complaints about the police.

“We have a complaint process,” City Manager David Fierke said. “We have a complaint form online. If someone feels their rights were violated and due process wasn’t followed, they need to file a complaint.”

Regarding the assertion that there is a competition between officers over who can make the most drunk driving arrests, Fierke said “it wouldn’t be tolerated if it was true.”