Entire Police Force RESIGNS: Chief Can't Find ANY Replacements - There's 'Zero Prospects'

The town of Goodhue, Minnesota just lost its police force. Not one officer, not a unit, but the whole police force. Goodhue Police Chief Josh Smith offered his resignation to city leaders and his officers followed. A former officer told a local news outlet that the city leaders had ignored the chief's requests for higher pay and better recruitment efforts to fill the department's ranks. 

According to KAAL-TV ABC6, Smith resigned after a city council meeting on August 9th. Mayor Ellen Buck reportedly confirmed plans for the city to hold an emergency meeting to deal with the matter. As a show of solidarity, the rest of the police officers turned in their resignations on the 11th, according to the outlet. A former officer who spoke with ABC 6 News said that two full-time officers and Smith are currently on duty until at least Aug. 24th when his resignation becomes effective.

As reported by NBC News, Smith warned at a July 26th meeting that he had "zero applicants" for the city's police force and revealed that other jurisdictions were actively attempting to recruit him and his officers. "So, right now with our current, trying to hire at $22 an hour, you're never going to see another person again walk through those doors, that's it," Smith told the city. "Unless you guys do a dramatic change." He stressed that smaller departments were offering $30 per hour. 

"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 added.

"Everybody knows everybody. This is heartbreaking to us,” Mayor Buck told ABC, adding, “We are going to rise above this, and I’m confident that we will have a police department again.” The mayor told reporters she is meeting with the county sheriff to ensure the city has police coverage.

"I want to reiterate that we will have police coverage in the city of Goodhue," she said, according to CBS News. "That is not an issue."

According to KSTP News, the city of Goodhue, with its 1,500 or so residents, is southeast of Minneapolis and had approximately ten officers including the chief. Many of the officers were part-time.

CBS reported that, in a statement Tuesday afternoon, Republican Minnesota State Rep. Pam Altendorf said the Goodhue situation is "being blown completely out of proportion."

The state legislator said she blames the overall police shortage in Minnesota on Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) citing "the failed policies of the Walz administration and the degrading of our police officers," as well as small towns being unable to attract officers due to budget limitations and no support from the state.

"This is what happens when government creates an environment where criminals do not receive just sentences and law enforcement is demeaned and demoralized,"