Entire police department in Minn. town resigns over pay, recruitment
GOODHUE, Minn. —September 3 2023 The city of Goodhue has found itself in turmoil after the entire police force, including the chief, resigned, the Star Tribune reports.
After Aug. 23, the city will be without local law enforcement. That will be the last day for Police Chief Josh Smith and one other officer.
“This is heartbreaking to us,” Goodhue Mayor Ellen Anderson Buck said Monday night after an emergency Goodhue city council meeting.
Smith resigned during a city council meeting on Aug. 9. A full-time officer and five part-time employees resigned on Aug. 11 after they heard Smith quit.
Smith is said to have stepped down from his position to accept a job with the Lake City police, citing issues with salary and recruitment. Attempts from the Star Tribune to reach him for a comment on Monday were unsuccessful.
During a city council meeting in July, Smith asked council members to include a discussion over recruitment after an officer quit the Goodhue PD in June. At the time, it brought the department’s full-time roster to two, including Smith.
Smith contended that the city’s compensation was insufficient to keep officers on board, especially considering other communities and urban areas were offering higher pay in the face of growing police department job vacancies.
“Right now … 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 later said smaller departments were offering at least $30 an hour.
Goodhue has fallen short in offering incentives comparable to those provided by other municipalities, such as sign-on bonuses. Smith noted that this shortfall has had a negative impact on the recruitment process. He expressed that there have been no individuals applying or showing interest in the position of another officer. Additionally, he raised a cautionary flag by mentioning that he had received three employment offers within just two days before the July 26 meeting.
“Not that I’m leaving you guys, because I told you I’m in it,” Smith said. “But 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.”
Despite the fact that the council granted a 5% raise to officers and a $13,000 salary boost to Smith earlier in the year, Goodhue’s officers were still receiving lower compensation compared to similar municipalities.
During this transitional period, the council aims to request additional enforcement assistance from the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office. On Wednesday, the mayor and other officials intend to hold discussions with Sheriff Marty Kelly regarding the expenses associated with deploying deputies to oversee the community. This arrangement would be in place as Goodhue’s authorities undertake efforts to reconstruct the town’s police force.
The council seemed to reach a consensus on the restoration of the city’s police force instead of opting for a long-term contract with the county. However, the timeline for this rebuilding process remains uncertain. Even upon achieving this goal, city officials acknowledge that revitalizing the department will be a challenging endeavor.
