Mayor shocked as entire police force quits in Minnesota town.
Police Officers Resign in Minnesota Town Due to Low Pay and Long Hours
In a shocking turn of events, every police officer, including the chief of police, has stepped down from the force in the town of Goodhue, Minnesota. Complaints of low pay and long hours went unresolved, leading to this mass resignation.
Goodhue, a small city located about 65 miles southeast of Minneapolis, with just over 1,000 residents, is now facing the possibility of being without police officers by August 23. The city has been struggling to attract new recruits and provide competitive pay to its officers. The nonpartisan mayor expressed her surprise and promised that the city would still be protected.
“I want to reiterate that we will have police coverage in the city of Goodhue,” Mayor Ellen Anderson Buck told Fox 9. “That is not an issue.”
Police Chief Josh Smith revealed that the force had been facing difficulties in finding individuals interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement. Last week, Smith, along with another full-time employee and five part-time employees, all announced their resignations.
“This has been three weeks now, we have zero applicants, and I have zero prospects,” Smith said in July. “I’ve called every PD around for the youngest guys out there, getting into the game. There’s nobody getting into the game.”
Despite the salary increase of $13,000 for Chief Smith and a 5% raise for the other officers this year, the recruitment struggles persisted.
“Right now … trying to hire at $22 an hour, you’re never going to see another person again walk through those doors,” Smith said, noting that other cities often offer more benefits and higher pay.
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Once all the officers have left, the town plans to contract with the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services. This situation mirrors what happened in Morris, another Minnesota town, where the police department was disbanded last year due to staffing issues.
Police departments across the U.S. have been grappling with recruitment challenges in both urban and rural areas. The shortage of officers can be attributed to the wave of anti-police sentiment that followed the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody in 2020.
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