Minnesota Town Replaces Police Force With Private Security

Draw your own conclusions on this, but none are good.

via Public Intelligence

Minn. town to replace police with private security force (USA Today):

The central Minnesota town of Foley tried having its own police department and contracting with the county sheriff’s department for law enforcement.
Now, in an effort to save money, the city with a population of 2,600 is making a controversial move few others have done: Starting in January, it plans to employ a private security company to patrol its streets.
Foley is believed to be the first town in Minnesota to replace its police force with private guards, according to the Minnesota attorney general’s office.
Nationwide, other cities have supplemented their traditional police with contracted officers, said John Firman, director of research for the International Association of Chiefs of Police. Firman said an entirely private security force is a new approach, and his organization hasn’t gotten many calls from communities considering the idea.
But as cities across the USA struggle with the economic downturn, more will look at innovative ways of providing public safety, Firman said.
“For the first time in our history … police are no longer immune from budget cuts,” he said.
In Minnesota, 59 police departments have been dissolved or combined with other departments since 2000, according to the League of Minnesota Cities.
Since it disbanded its police department in 2003, Foley has contracted with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office to have three deputies patrol the city, providing coverage for about 17 hours a day. This year, the city paid $24,694 a month for the contract.