BLACKDUCK — The Blackduck City Council agreed to disband the city's police force.
The Council unanimously moved to rescind an ordinance establishing the city's police force in favor of a contract with the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office.
Council member Laurie Hamilton made the motion during the Monday, June 8, meeting, adding she hated to see the Blackduck Police Department go.
“We can't just let it sit stagnant either, and it's kind of where we're at,” Hamilton said. “I loved having a [law enforcement] person. I loved it for the kids. I think it built a better community.”
The city had budgeted for a full-time police chief and a full-time patrol officer for years, but the positions had lately been filled only part-time by Beltrami County sheriff’s deputies. The Council hosted a public hearing on the pending decision in March, with a presentation from the sheriff’s office.
The Council discussed what terms they would like to see in the contract, the presence of the sheriff’s deputies in the schools and at the Blackduck branch of the Bemidji Area Boys & Girls Club, and the next steps for Blackduck’s owned police vehicles.
“My hope is that the sheriff's office would take ownership of them [the vehicles],” Blackduck City Administrator Christina Regas said, noting they could be rebranded for the north end deputy who would take on policing in Blackduck.
Blackduck is pursuing a contract for 40 hours a week of dedicated service, with eight hours each week dedicated to area schools. Contracting policing with the sheriff is anticipated to save the city between $25,000 to $40,000 each year.
-
Lorie Shaull/KAXENevaeh Kingbird, 15, was last seen October 2021. Jeremy Jourdain, 17, was last seen October 2016. Both cases remain unsolved as families find ways to cope and connect. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXEAn ongoing study from the Center of Rural Policy and Development found the importance of local college options and high school professional and technical classes. -
Contributed/Mark SauerRock Ridge and Pequot Lakes tennis players also qualified for the individual tournament, as did athletes from Staples-Motley and Crookston. -
Contributed/Nicole Neri / Minnesota ReformerDemuth argued that Klobuchar is aligned with Gov. Tim Walz and would govern similarly, while Klobuchar argued that Demuth would not stand up to President Donald Trump. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXEKlobuchar has spent decades building her own brand to become one of the state’s most recognizable figures, but voters will still have to decide how they want to view her past. -
Plus: Rural pathway studies show regional education retains young people in Northern MN. -
Larissa Donovan/KAXEBrainerd, Detroit Lakes and now Bemidji have passed similar letters of support, urging the Minnesota State High School League to review its bylaw on how trans kids compete in sports. -
Contributed/Michelle Griffith / Minnesota ReformerThe lawsuit aims to invalidate parts of a 1,400 page mega-bill passed at the end of the 2024 legislative session, based on the Minnesota Constitution requirement that bills address a single subject, and bear a title reflecting that subject. -
Plus: Longtime North Country priest designated a "Servant of God."
-
Contributed/Timberjay via Diocese of DuluthThe longtime North Country priest now holds the designation of “Servant of God.”
