Ely’s newest police officer will be a familiar face.
Troy Bissonette, who works full-time as Babbitt’s police chief but has been a part-time officer here for roughly two years, is set to leave Babbitt and join the Ely force on a fulltime basis.
Ely council members accepted the recommendation of the city’s police commission and Chief Chad Houde and voted unanimously Tuesday to hire Bissonette for a vacant position.
A subsequent motion, to approve a lateral hire and place Bissonette on the salary scale with five years of experience and contingent on a letter of understanding with the police labor union, was approved 6-1, with councilor John Lahtonen opposed.
The move will bring Ely’s police department back to full force and city officials voiced hope that it will also bring more stability.
Several officers have come and gone in recent years, leaving the department for other law enforcement positions.
Houde noted a tight labor market in law enforcement and the city has taken to unique measures, going so far as offering a canoe and related gear to new hires.
“It’s a pretty competitive market right now and most agencies are fighting for each applicant,” said Houde.
Council member Jerome Debeltz offered similar sentiments.
“Every time we seem to have (an officer), somebody else takes them,” said Debeltz. “We have a trained officer coming in who knows everything about being a police officer. I would rather give somebody an extra wage so we don’t have to spend money on overtime, and we have somebody who has worked with the department.”
After another candidate withdrew from consideration to take a job elsewhere, Houde said he heard from Bissonette.
“One of our part-time officers reached out and is interested in coming on full-time,” Houde told the council.
Houde added that Bissonette, who has worked six years in Babbitt, asked to come on “at a year five step along with year five vacation.”
That request was accepted not only by Houde but by the city’s police commission.
But with that comes additional pay, and cost to the city, then if the city hired a first-year officer.
Bissonette will be hired at a wage of $34.76 per hour, plus benefits including three weeks of paid vacation.
City officials wrestled with the additional cost, which Houde estimated at $6,188 per year, but the chief noted that the city was likely to save money on overtime.
CouncilmemberJohnLahtonen, a former Ely police chief, questioned the potential precedent the move might make and argued the city should take that into consideration.
“It would have been nice to know,” said Lahtonen. “It would have been nice to have had this before so we could have a discussion. We should have a say in this.”
Council member Adam Bisbee noted Bissonette’s experience with Ely and said, “We’re getting a loyal employee - to me, that’s a good investment.”
Council member Al Forsman also weighed in.
“The first factor was that the police commission met and they want this employee,” said Forsman. “They recommended we pay at this rate. We (also) do have a letter from the local union representing our staff (in support of the hire and wage). Being fully staffed is going to affect the amount we have to spend. I do think there will be some advantages.”
Contacted after the meeting, Bissonette provided the following statement: “This has not been an easy decision to make, however it feels like the right one. It has been the highest honor to serve Babbitt as its Chief of Police these past couple of years, and I will forever be thankful for the love and the trust shown to me by residents as we have endeavored to build an exceptional team of officers and to keep our community safe. I am greatly looking forward however, to the prospect of refocusing my efforts in Ely and back on the parts of this job that continue to excite me - working the street, where the people are, for the city that gave me the start of my career.”
