![A parked Goodhue police car Monday, August 14, 2023, at Goodhue City Hall in Goodhue, Minn. The Goodhue city council met for a special meeting to address the police department in Goodhue Monday. The police department in Goodhue quit last week after an Aug. 9 city council meeting. The police chief, Josh Smith, and one other officer will stay on until Aug. 23. ] CARLOS GONZALEZ • carlos.gonzalez@startribune.com](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/VY5BERO7WPZH4SRY2UAZ33ZWLQ.jpg?&w=1080)
Small-town police departments across Minnesota are shrinking and in some cases disappearing. The profession is seeing a shortage of officers as the perception of policing suffers and city budgets in towns with small tax-bases struggle to keep up with the rising costs of attracting and keeping officers.
Moose Lake, 40 minutes southwest of Duluth, is down to just one remaining police officer. In all, 35 municipal police departments around the state have dissolved since 2016, according to records kept by the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training. About 400 municipal police departments remain. In many of these places, that leaves the county sheriff as the only law enforcement available.
Here are all of the departments around Minnesota that are no more.
2023
Eagle Lake Police Dept.
Emily Police Dept.
Goodhue Police Dept.
Wheaton Police Dept.
