Golden Valley Police Chief Says County Extension Needed To Cover Officer Shortage
The Golden Valley Police Department says it will need Hennepin County help for another six months to make up for a shortage of officers.
Golden Valley Police Chief Virgil Green says the department is up to 19 officers. That’s 12 short of its authorized force of 31. However Green said that’s considerably better than a year ago, when officer numbers had fallen to as low as 10.
Despite the improving numbers, Golden Valley police will ask for a contract extension with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office for an additional six months.
“After that we should be in pretty good shape to take back the department where we’ve got our dayshift officers, as well as our evening shift,” said Green.
Green said four new officers have completed schooling and will soon start field training. If that goes well, they could be on the job in about two months, he said.
Golden Valley Police Chief Virgil Green in an interview with CCX News.
The city’s current patrol contract with Hennepin County ends in December. Extending the contract for an additional time period would require approval from the Golden Valley City Council and Hennepin County Board of Commissioners.
Also See: Golden Valley Rolls Out New Color Scheme for Police Vehicles
