Minnesota city votes to disband police force as latest town to face staffing, budgeting shortfalls

[seafoam1 3,069]

Excellent. Let's get back to the old West. I have a horse and a sidearm, I can police your town for the right price. 

 

The government of Moose Lake, Minnesota, has voted to disband its entire police force after the City Council voted to contract with the county for law enforcement, per a report out Thursday. 

Mayor Ted Shaw told the Star Tribune that he was "disappointed" by the decision. 

Moose Lake will form a contract with the Carlton County Sheriff's Office.

The vote was partially motivated by budget concerns. Last fall, the City Council reduced the size of a "5-person police force" in order to fund the entire department," the outlet reported. Then, in January, two more officers resigned, which only left one officer on the force. 

"Public safety would have made up a major portion of Moose Lake's $2.8 million 2024 budget — about $900,000 for a five-person force and part-time administrative support, said Ellissa Owens, its city administrator," the report revealed. 

The vote to dissolve yet another police department in Minnesota comes just months after Goodhue, a small city in the southeastern part of the state, lost its entire police force after the chief and other members of the department handed in their resignations in August. 

"I think we're all a little bit blindsided by it, but we're resilient, and we're going to move forward," Goodhue Mayor Ellen Anderson Buck told Fox 9 at the time. 

[Maximum Overkill 2,008]

Moose Lake, probably a nice area with little crime to begin with. I doubt many "criminals" reside there. 

[seafoam1 3,069]

3 minutes ago, Maximum Overkill said:

Moose Lake, probably a nice area with little crime to begin with. I doubt many "criminals" reside there. 

Until they get rid of the police department. Then you start getting your John Wayne Gacy's of the world going there. 

[Maximum Overkill 2,008]

2 minutes ago, seafoam1 said:

Until they get rid of the police department. Then you start getting your John Wayne Gacy's of the world going there. 

Well maybe Gutterboy, aka Ron Artest should break out his clown makeup, red nose and big red floppy shoes. Sounds like a Liberal paradise. 

[seafoam1 3,069]

Just now, Maximum Overkill said:

Well maybe Gutterboy, aka Ron Artest should break out his clown makeup, red nose and big red floppy shoes. Sounds like a Liberal paradise. 

Yep. Then you find 30+ kids buried in their basement walls and backyard. But hey, they were loving clowns for kids parties in the neighborhood. They even had a picture with Roselyn Carter.

[Maximum Overkill 2,008]

Just now, seafoam1 said:

Yep. Then you find 30+ kids buried in their basement

Seems about right

[supermike80 1,925]

Moose lake...yep..Thought I heard that before

 

[TBayXXXVII 2,552]

This isn't a "Woke" / "Leftist" issue.  Things like this have happened for decades.  The costs for police departments are expensive and sometimes not worth it for small towns.  If disbanding of a small police department and patrolling/public safety is being covered by a neighboring town, then there's nothing wrong with that.

 

The population of the town is 2500.  There's no real need for a town that size to have their own full-time police department.  My guess is that crime is almost nil in that town.

[frank 2,307]

11 hours ago, supermike80 said:

Moose lake...yep..Thought I heard that before

 

Goddammit, I was about to post this.