Entire Police Force Quits At Once Leaving The Mayor 'Heartbroken'

Credit: Facebook/Goodhue Police Department

Unquestionably, one of the most crucial jobs in our society is being a police officer.

They protect the public's interests alongside professionals in the healthcare industry, putting the needs of others ahead of their own, and occasionally even placing their lives in danger.

To say that they are essential to the area would be an understatement, thus a little town in southern Minnesota has been surprised and grieved.

According to NBC News, all of the Goodhue Police Department's officers quit due to problems with pay; they were being paid $22 per hour.

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At a City Council meeting on Monday (August 14), Mayor Ellen Anderson Buck announced the news. The meeting had been convened initially so the city could talk about prospective pay raises for the department.

But before the meeting had started, the entire crew announced their resignations.

With barely over 1,000 residents, the city, which is located in the same county, faces the real threat of being without a police force to turn to for assistance.

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Josh Smith, the Goodhue Police Chief, was the first to resign, submitting his letter of resignation during last Wednesday's (9 August) City Council meeting.

A full-time officer and five part-time workers also quit their jobs after learning about Smith's resignation.

"Since the resignations have been handed in by our police department, it has been recommended by our city attorney that at this point we need to pursue our other options," Anderson Buck said at the meeting.

"So, at this point, there's no reason to really talk about pay increases, since we no longer have a police force."

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Smith revealed that other law enforcement agencies were attempting to recruit him and several of his colleagues during a council meeting before he resigned, claiming that the police department had "zero applicants."

"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," he said.

"Unless you guys do a dramatic change."

Smith stated that it was urgent to fix the salary situation and that some of his colleagues might get at least $30 an hour from agencies.

"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 said.

Smith stated his intention to remain in his role as chief until August 24th, the same date on which his officers opted to depart the force alongside him.

Local residents expressed strong disapproval of the police force's departure. One individual shared with NBC News that she was deeply shocked upon hearing the news.

Another individual mentioned that the community, which encounters minimal criminal activity, will feel the absence of the police force, expressing:'I can probably speak for everyone when I say that they provided excellent safety and security to our community. And the small-town policing that they did, we want that back.'