Small Minnesota Town Holds Emergency Meeting After Being Abandoned By Entire Police Department
Lillian Tweten on August 15, 2023
The city of Goodhue, Minnesota, held an emergency meeting Monday night after their entire police department announced its resignation, according to FOX9 News.
Police Chief Josh Smith originally alerted the City Council of a need for change on July 26, saying that the police department needed more competitive pay if it was to continue operating, FOX9 reported. Smith and six other officers handed in their resignation letters last week, leaving Goodhue entirely without a police force starting Aug. 24.
“We’ve got zero applicants and I have zero prospects. I’ve called every PD around looking for the youngest guys out there getting into the game. There’s nobody getting into the game,” Smith said in July according to FOX9.
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Officers currently receive $22 an hour, which Smith claims is far less than even smaller departments receive in other locations, according to the Star Tribune. Although the city offered officers a 5% raise earlier this year and gave the police chief a $13,000 bonus, the officers receive minimal pay compared to precincts of the same size, KARE 11 reported.
“The harsh reality is, I don’t want to be the guy working 80 hours a week just running this PD, being on call 24 hours a day, which I already am, and leaving no time for my family,” Smith said on July 26, according to the Star Tribune.
When called at their non-emergency number, the Goodhue City Police Department line goes directly to a pre-recorded statement that instructs the caller to leave a message or call the Goodhue County Police Department instead for immediate assistance.
Goodhue Mayor Ellen Anderson Buck and City Councilmember Chris Schmit intend to meet with Goodhue County Sheriff Marty Kelly on Wednesday, according to KROC News. Goodhue currently plans to rely on the county’s police officers to replace their city officers after August 23, KROC News reports.
Anderson, Smith and Schmit did not immediately respond to a request for a comment. Kelly declined to comment any further on the matter.
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