America is currently grappling with a shortage of police officers, a situation that many within the law enforcement community attribute to a dual blow to morale in 2020. This morale decline stemmed from two main factors: the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the heightened scrutiny and criticism of the police, which reached its peak following the tragic murder of George Floyd by a law enforcement officer. Across the nation, from Minnesota to Maine, Ohio to Texas, numerous small communities find themselves struggling to fill law enforcement positions. As a consequence, some of these towns are forced to disband their police departments and entrust law enforcement duties to either their county sheriff's office, a neighboring municipality, or the state police.
This trend is not entirely novel. A peer-reviewed paper published in 2022 by Rice University Economics Professor Richard T. Boylan reveals that, between 1972 and 2017, at least 521 towns and cities in the United States, ranging in population from 1,000 to 200,000, chose to disband their police departments.
Over the last couple of years, a dozen small towns have disbanded their local departments. In the town of Goodhue, Goodhue County has taken over law enforcement responsibilities through a contract.
The central issue revolves around the significant departure of people from the field of law enforcement. In the previous year, officer resignations increased by 47% when compared to 2019, which was the year preceding both the pandemic and George Floyd's tragic death. Additionally, retirements saw a 19% increase.
Agencies of various sizes are facing challenges in recruiting for their vacant positions. However, the issue is particularly acute in smaller communities, which are unable to compete with the salary and benefits packages offered by larger metropolitan areas.
Last year, Morris, a Minnesota town, made the decision to disband its police department due to a series of officer departures. At that point, the town, which had a population of 5,100 residents, was left with only two officers. Similarly, in March, the town of Limestone in Maine also dissolved its police department, following the example of neighboring Van Buren, which had done the same two years prior.
According to a study conducted by Rice University, the overall crime rates in these towns remained relatively stable after their police departments were disbanded. Furthermore, the leaders of several of these towns expressed satisfaction with the change.
America's small towns are disbanding police forces; know the surprising reason
