An entire Minnesota police force quits after the chief announces resignation, a situation allegedly brought by salary disagreements and the department not having any new applications or new prospects.
In a statement after the incident, Goodhue Mayor Ellen Anderson said that the sudden mass resignation of police officers blindsided officials in the city. However, he said they could move forward, adding that the city would still have police coverage and the situation would not be an issue.
Minnesota Police Force Quits
Previously, Goodhue Police Chief Josh Smith, who will still serve in his position until Aug. 24, said that he could not find anyone new to sign up to join the department. He noted on July 26 that the issue had been persistent for the three weeks before his remarks.
Smith noted that he had already called every police department around for the youngest guys that they have and added that nobody was "getting into the game." The police chief noted that if Goodhue lawmakers want to keep the department, something needs to change dramatically and drastically, as per Fox News.
Chris Schmidt, a member of the Goodhue City Council, praised the police force for maintaining law and order within the city. He said that he spoke for everyone when he said that the department provided excellent safety and security to the community.
Additionally, Smith told the Goodhue City Council that the police department was losing numbers in the recruitment process because of low salaries and competition from larger communities.
Anderson added that she will soon meet with Goodhue County Sheriff's Office to ensure that the city is well prepared for any situation. A Monday night meeting, where the topic of discussion was supposed to be increasing the pay for police officers in the city, became a moment where the city council accepted resignations.
Low Salary for Police Officers
This includes the ones filed by Smith, full-time officer Anthony Brecht, and five part-time officers. The police chief's resignation also comes as last month; he told the council that he was receiving offers from larger departments in other areas, according to MPR News.
Smith revealed that the department was trying to hire new officers for $22 an hour, so no one would ever apply for the job. He added that communities all over Minnesota are facing similarly hard times in the hiring process. However, some have increased pay and benefits, attracting more applicants.
The executive director of the League of Minnesota Cities, Luke Fischer, said that the labor market for everything right now is tight. He noted that this was particularly true for police officers because their career is tough.
Smith also called on officials to raise the salary of police officers to $30 an hour because right now, they have zero incentive to come to the small town of roughly 1,000 people while being given low pay, being on call, and having their free time affected, everything else that comes with the job, said NBC News.
