Minnesota GOP lawmaker responds after entire police department resigns in small town: 'Demoralization'

Rep. Pam Altendorf, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital that the small town of Goodhue, Minnesota, should serve as a warning for the rest of the country after the community lost its entire police force. 

"This is a reflection of a bigger problem that's happening all over Minnesota, and that is that we have a police shortage," Altendorf said. "It has really been fueled by the defund the police movement that started in 2020."

"What just happened in Goodhue, Minnesota," she said, "should be a warning for many areas across Minnesota and actually across the United States."

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Altendorf is currently in her first term as a state representative and serves constituents in the southeastern part of Minnesota, including Goodhue County, where the small town of Goodhue is located. While she acknowledged that there are "some bad police officers," she largely voiced support for the force, saying that a "majority" of police officers go into the profession "because they truly care about the public." 

"When we ask police officers to do this very difficult job, to take on a significant risk, to have to make decisions in split seconds and then to be judged by the public afterwards," Altendorf said. "When we do not fully support our police officers," the problems of low recruitment are only going to continue, she added.

"I don't see this changing in the months and years to come until we get better leadership that shows that they respect this profession and that we are willing to respect them," she said. 

Altendorf explained that the town of Goodhue, which has a population of just around 1,000 people, "used to be a starting place for someone who maybe just came out of college." 

"It is lower pay, but we have a smaller tax base, so that is to be expected," she said. 

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The real problem, Altendorf said, was as simple as "supply and demand." 

"The supply of police officers is just not there. So not just in Goodhue, Minnesota, but many police departments are putting out ads to get more police officers and there just [aren't enough] physical bodies that are applying for these positions." That allows bigger departments, in larger towns and especially in major cities, to lure away officers from small towns with "bonuses" and "higher salaries." 

That isn't the "fault of the police officers," she said. "No one faults them for wanting a [higher pay]," she continued. But that still leaves a tremendous police officer shortage in the state. 

Altendorf’s analysis of the police shortage in small towns like Goodhue and across the state closely echoed what the town’s police chief told city officials. 

Police Chief Josh Smith, who did not respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital, told city officials that he could not find anyone to sign up to join the police force. 

"This has been three weeks now, we have zero applicants, and I have zero prospects," Smith said on July 26. "I’ve called every PD around for the youngest guys out there, getting into the game. There's nobody getting into the game."

"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."

Multiple reports have revealed that Smith, along with one full time officer and several part-time officers, all have handed in their resignations. 

Altendorf also pointed to another concern among police: low morale. 

"I have talked to many police officers," she said. "There is really a demoralization of our police here in Minnesota that started in 2020 with the riots. The police have a very difficult job to do. We asked them to go out there [and] take on risk. But the very top leadership in the state, Altendorf said, like Gov. Tim Walz and who she called the "Minneapolis-St. Paul Democrats," are not giving proper "support" to the police in the state.

"There was really a defund the police movement. And that is so demoralizing," she added. 

The pressure on police is causing some to talk about "retiring early," Altendorf said, with others worried about what will happen to their families and their careers if they are put in a difficult decision while on the job. That demoralization has also affected crime, the Republican representative said. 

"Here in Minnesota, across the state, we've seen a very significant increase in crime," she said, also explaining that new policies have reduced penalties for criminals, including "hardcore criminals" who commit "murders" and other serious offenses. 

Altendorf had one final message that she wanted to communicate to current police officers and those who are interested in joining the force. 

"Just know that the majority of people support you," she said. "The majority of people are appreciative of what the police officers are doing. So in their communities, there is an outpouring of support for police officers and it's just unfortunate what's happened at a bigger level to make some of them feel that they're not appreciated. But the truth is that by far the majority of people support you. It is a field to serve people. And we do need more people getting in this field to serve the people, to serve the public and to help us."

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