Minnesota town loses police department after every officer quits

August 16, 203

GOODHUE, Minnesota (AP) — A small Minnesota town will soon be without a police department, an exodus spurred by low pay for the chief and his officers.

Goodhue Police Chief Josh Smith and one other officer are still on the force, but only until their resignations become official on Aug. 23. Smith submitted his resignation at a City Council meeting Aug. 9, while another full-time officer and five part-time employees resigned Friday after learning that Smith was stepping down.

“This is heartbreaking to us,” Goodhue Mayor Ellen Anderson Buck said Monday night after an emergency council meeting. Goodhue, in southeastern Minnesota, has about 1,300 residents.

The council will seek extra enforcement from the Goodhue County Sheriff’s Office while town officials work to rebuild the department.