The entire police force in Goodhue, Minnesota, recently resigned.
Fox News reported the small town’s mayor, Ellen Anderson Buck, said this “blindsided” her.
“I want to reiterate that we will have police coverage in the city of Goodhue,” she added.
Police Chief Josh Smith will remain on the force until Aug. 24. It was noted much of this is due to a worker shortage.
On July 26, he said, “This has been three weeks now, we have zero applicants, and I have zero prospects.”
“I’ve called every PD around for the youngest guys out there, getting into the game. There’s nobody getting into the game,” he went on.
Smith also noted, “If you want to keep the PD and this is something we want to continue going with, something needs to change dramatically and drastically, and it’s got to happen now.”
As far back as 2018, lack of interest in the field has been widely felt.
Police 1 reported in December of 2018 that applications at most police departments were down 66%.
According to Reuters, population growth in the state has stalled and despite increases in pay, the demand for workers is facing a lack of supply.
Although the Star Tribune reported in April the worker shortage is leveling off in the state, it was also noted that this issue will not be resolved quickly.
Fox News also noted in its report that interest in the police force may be down due to recent convictions regarding politicized officer-involved shooting events.
One of the most notable cases includes ex-officer Tou Thao, who is serving a four-year and nine-month sentence over the death of George Floyd.
Thao has noted being “distressed” over the “false narratives” which led to his conviction and has turned to faith to aid him in prison.
