GOODHUE, Minn. (NewsNation) — Another small-town police force has quit, leaving some residents in Goodhue shaken.
The police chief and officers claim it came down to pay and work-life balance. What happens now is the question facing small towns across the country as fewer people are going into policing, making the field very competitive.
Police Chief Josh Smith told NewsNation he can’t hire anyone at the current salary. Smith, one full-time officer and five part-time officers all resigned last week. The town of roughly 1,200 people an hour southeast of Minneapolis is moving forward.
“We will have police coverage in Goodhue,” said Mayor Ellen Anderson Buck. “This has happened before. We’re not the first and we won’t be the last. This is not unusual, this is common.”
Forces of all sizes nationwide are having a hard time keeping officers on the beat.
“Number one is that you know, being a police officer is a really hard job,” said Luke Fischer, the executive director of the League of Minnesota Cities. “You work nights, you work weekends, you work holidays, and we ask you to be your very best in really hard and stressful situations. That is mixed with broader economic challenges.”
Total sworn staffing nationwide has dropped nearly 5% over the past three years. But small towns with smaller budgets seem to be hit hardest, unable to compete with bigger budgets and bigger salaries being thrown at officers.
The mayor of Goodhue said her town is far from alone. Morris, Minnesota, disbanded its police department last year when it was down to only two officers.
In the end, towns like Goodhue just want residents to feel safe and secure.
“We want what is best for our community,” said Chris Schmit of the Goodhue City Council. “We need to make sure we are very competitive with pay. They (police officers) deserve everything they get. No one is going to put their life on the line for a very low rate.”