Entire police department in small southern Minnesota town quits over salary issues

Only the chief of the Goodhue Police Department and one other officer still remain on the force until their resignations also take effect on 23 August

The entire police staff in a small Minnesota town has quit over salary disputes.

The City of Goodhue will soon be without law enforcement after all seven staff members announced their resignation, Mayor Ellen Anderson Buck said at a city council meeting on Monday.

Police Chief Josh Smith and one other officer are now the only ones still remaining on the force until their resignations also take effect on 23 August, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported.

Ms Anderson Buck said that she was “floored” by their decision.

During a council meeting in July, Mr Smith had voiced his frustration over salary, noting that other police departments offered better pay and more perks such as sign-on bonuses.

The mayor said she hadn’t expected the entire force to take such drastic action.

“I just thought one; I didn’t realise all of them,” she said, per NBC News. “We knew we were on the low side and so we were trying very, very hard to bring those numbers up,”

According to the mayor, the entire department received a 5 percent raise earlier this year, making the current hourly wage $22. Mr Smith was also given a $13,000 yearly increase ahead of budgeting discussions to be held later this year by city officials.

“There’s zero incentive to come out here to a small town, low pay, being on call, affecting your free time and everything else,” he previously told the city council, according to the Star-Tribune.

The Goodhue council convenes for a special meeting to address the police department in Goodhue, Minnesota (© 2023 Carlos Gonzalez / Star Tribune)

“Trying to hire at $22 an hour, you’re never going to see another person again walk through those doors.”

Mr Smith and one other officer were the only officers to remain on staff after another resignation in June.

“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,” he warned last month.

Mr Smith submitted his resignation on 9 August. Five part-time employees and a full-time officer then quit three days later after learning that the chief was stepping down.

Goodhue is located in southeastern Minnesota and has a population of about 1,300 residents. The city said that it would contract the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office to offer extra enforcement while the local police force is rebuilt.

“This is a great place to live and to work and I think we’ll get them back here. It’s just going to take some time and rebuilding,” Ms Anderson Buck said.