GOODHUE, Minn. — Pending approval from the Goodhue City Council, the Goodhue County Sheriff's Office will take over law enforcement duties for the city through the end of 2023.
The sheriff's office announced a tentative agreement Wednesday, adding that discussions are ongoing about a plan for 2024.
"The City of Goodhue and the Goodhue County Sheriff's Office are working together to ensure no interruption of police service for the citizens of Goodhue," read a news release from the sheriff's office.
The tentative agreement comes after all seven officers with the Goodhue Police Department resigned. The city council called a special meeting Monday after the resignations were announced. According to Goodhue Mayor Ellen Anderson Buck, the city gave its officers a 5% pay increase and the chief a $13,000 raise at the beginning of the year.
Goodhue, which has a population of about 1,200 people, is the fifth city over the past two years to have its police department close its doors. In 2022, police departments in Spring Grove, Morris and Ortonville closed, while Wheaton's police department closed earlier this year. According to the Minnesota Law Enforcement Labor Service, about half of the police departments across the state are short-staffed.
The Goodhue chief is reportedly taking another policing job in Lake City, but he's yet answer requests for comment.
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