After Goodhue's entire police department resigns, sheriff's office is stepping in to help

UPDATE (Aug. 16, 2023): A tentative agreement was made Wednesday to provide more law enforcement services for Goodhue. What follows is a revised version of the original story.

GOODHUE, Minn. – The small southeastern Minnesota town of Goodhue is figuring out how to move forward after its entire police department resigned.

At a special meeting Monday night, the Goodhue City Council accepted the resignations of Chief Josh Smith, Officer Anthony Brecht and multiple part-time officers.

Goodhue Mayor Ellen Anderson Buck said she will meet with the Goodhue County Sheriff's Office to address the city's policing plans.

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

READ MORE: Minneapolis Police Chief O'Hara announces "unprecedented" reorganization of department, new leadership roles

The council had originally planned to discuss police pay increases at Monday's meeting, but the en masse resignation made the agenda item moot.

The mayor said the return of a restructured Goodhue Police Department is possible. 

On Wednesday, Goodhue County Sheriff Marty Kelly announced that his department and the City of Goodhue reached a tentative agreement to provide policing services through the rest of the year.  

"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," Kelly said.

In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, State Rep. Pam Altendorf, R-Red Wing, said the situation in Goodhue is "being blown completely out of proportion." She blames the state's police shortage – specifically how small towns can't afford to pay larger law enforcement salaries – for the mass resignation, as well as "the failed policies of the Walz administration and the degrading of our police officers."

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

Goodhue is a city of less than 1,300 about an hour southeast of the Twin Cities.