A Winnebago police officer earlier this month resigned to accept a position with the Faribault County Sheriff’s Department.
And, it’s not the first time that’s happened.
At least four officers in the last several years have left to work for the county and it’s a trend that has City Council member Scott Robertson concerned.
“It’s bothersome,” says Robertson. “I’ll have to talk to Sheriff Gormley to see if he can keep his help there.”
Davis’ departure comes just 15 months after being hired full time by the city.
Sheriff Mike Gormley says Davis was working part time for the county and was chosen from a pool of part-timers who applied.
He says losing an officer to another agency is, “the nature of law enforcement.”
In fact, Davis was hired by the Winnebago Police Department following his internship with the county.
“Heck ‘yes,’ I understand their frustration,” says Gormley. “But, it’s not like we’re out there just trying to steal someone’s employee.”
“If someone decides they want a different job, I don’t know if there’s anything I can do,” he adds.
The Winnebago council promoted Jacob Pettit to a full-time officer and authorized Police Chief Eric Olson to hire three to five part-timers.
Olson says there are no training costs when hiring a full-time officer because the department usually promotes from within.
However, Olson estimates equipping an officer to do their job can be as much as $1,500. He says the biggest expense when hiring a part-time officer is training, costing $200 to $800.