2023-08-16 20:45:46
A small Minnesota town will soon be left without a police department, an exodus sparked by low pay for the chief and his deputies.
Goodhue Police Chief Josh Smith and another officer are still on the force, but only until their resignations become official on Aug. 23, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. Smith tendered his resignation at a City Council meeting on Aug. 9, while another full-time official and five part-timers resigned Friday following learning Smith was resigning.
“This breaks our hearts,” Goodhue Mayor Ellen Anderson Buck said Monday night following an emergency council meeting. Goodhue, in southeast Minnesota, has regarding 1,300 residents.
The council will seek an additional application from the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office as city officials work to rebuild the department. The Vikings’ defense under Brian Flores is being redone with aggression, deceit and freedom.
Smith did not return calls for comment. He told the council in July that the city was not offering enough money to retain officers when other places were willing to offer better wages amid growing job vacancies. Goodhue also hasn’t matched other cities’ incentives, such as sign-on bonuses, which Smith said hurt recruiting.
“Trying to hire for $22 an hour, you will never see another person walk through those doors once more,” Smith told the council. He said smaller departments pay at least $30 an hour.
The mayor said the mass resignations were surprising because the council gave officers a 5% raise and Smith a $13,000 raise earlier this year.
Goodhue is the latest small Minnesota community struggling to keep up with law enforcement demands amid rising budget costs and continued officer shortages.
Last year, the Morris Police Department was disbanded following a turbulent few months during which the department was reduced to just the chief and one other officer. The city now contracts with the Stevens County Sheriff’s Office.
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