A small town in Minnesota is on the verge of losing its police department due to a departure of personnel caused by inadequate compensation for both the chief and officers.

The Goodhue Police Chief, Josh Smith, along with another officer, will remain in their positions until their official resignations take effect on August 23, as reported by the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Chief Smith announced his resignation during a City Council meeting on August 9, prompting one full-time officer and five part-time employees to resign shortly after, upon learning of his decision.

The Mayor of Goodhue, Ellen Anderson Buck, expressed deep concern about this development during an emergency council meeting, remarking that the situation is heart-wrenching, the Associated Press has reported.

Located in southeastern Minnesota and housing around 1,300 residents, Goodhue intends to bridge the law enforcement gap by seeking supplementary support from the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office while town officials undertake the task of rebuilding the police department.

Chief Smith declined to comment on the matter. In a statement made to the council in July, he conveyed that the city’s remuneration was insufficient to retain officers, particularly when other locations were offering more attractive pay packages due to growing job vacancies.

Furthermore, Goodhue did not match the incentives offered by other municipalities, such as sign-on bonuses, which Chief Smith believed hindered recruitment efforts.

“Trying to hire at $22 an hour, you’re never going to see another person again walk through those doors,” Smith told the council. He said smaller departments pay at least $30 an hour.

Surprisingly, the collective resignations occurred despite the council having granted officers a 5% raise and Chief Smith a $13,000 increase earlier in the year.

This predicament echoes the challenges faced by other small communities in Minnesota, struggling to meet law enforcement demands due to escalating budgetary pressures and an ongoing shortage of officers.

Written by staff