Winnebago has had trouble hiring police officers. Now, city officials may be looking for a new police chief.
Eric Olson, who has been on the job since 2014, has decided to move on.
“I didn’t quit, I resigned,” says Olson. “I resigned by letter and my last full-time day will be September 20. I have another job.”
“I have offered to stay on as interim chief until the city figures out who will be the new chief. However long that may take,” he adds.
For the past four months, Olson has been vocal and a strong proponent of the city keeping its police department and not contracting with another law enforcement agency for services.
Olson has been the city’s lone officer for the past eight months after two officers took jobs with the Faribault County Sheriff’s Department.
In June, City Council approved increasing the wages for officers as a way to attract more applicants. They also increased Olson’s hourly wage following a favorable job performance review.
Council members at their August meeting decided to maintain the police department after residents voiced strong opposition to disband it during public hearings.
At that time, Olson told council members that two candidates to fill the full-time vacancies in the department were going through background checks.
Olson’s resignation is surely to be a topic of discussion when the council holds its monthly meeting on Sept. 12.