Two new officers may soon join the Babbitt Police Department, contingent upon certification with the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST).
The council passed a motion at Monday’s special meeting to hire Reed Fletcher as a full-time patrol officer, pending his successful completion of the POST test.
An additional offer still stands for patrolman applicant Cory Merten, who also must pass the POST before accepting his position in the department. At a special meeting on March 16, the council agreed to hire Merten following his graduation last spring.
The patrolman applicants took their POST tests this week, on Tuesday and Friday. Both have taken the test before, missing a passing score by a small margin.
The council’s Monday decision followed two interviews, one with Fletcher and the other for an outof- state applicant to the police chief position.
Interim police chief Todd Heikkila, who was present for the interviews, has also indicated interest in putting his name into the mix for official hire as chief.
Heikkila said his inclination toward the role would depend upon the outcome of ongoing union contract negotiations, though he said he would “definitely seriously consider it.”
“I’m looking at if I want to even stay in the career. I need some kind of incentive here,” Heikkala said.
The council discussed the meaning of a four-man department, settling on four officers and a chief, as opposed to three officers and a chief for a total of four.
This would mean Babbitt would retain the same number of police personnel as last year, prior to resignations from former police chief Troy Bissonette and officers Phillip Ruelle and Douglas Kremer.
Babbitt’s current job postings advertise open positions for one officer and one chief. The expanded personnel allowance would permit the city to hire two patrolmen without first determining whether or not Heikkila will assume the role of police chief, which would leave an additional officer opening.
The Babbitt Police Department’s full-time roster currently consists of Heikkila and officer Jon Shenett.
Heikkila said a cost-analysis for a department of three officers and one chief revealed steep costs from overtime, which could pile up to about 2,800 hours for 2027.
The total includes considerations for vacation time, comp time, sick days, holidays, court days and shift extensions.
“I never wanted to decrease the police department. It got thrust upon everyone. I don’t think there’s any opposition to having the same amount of police force that we had before,” White said.
White said he was shocked to receive Merten’s and Fletcher’s applications, due to high competition for personnel among small communities looking to fill police rosters.
“We heard the union guys in a police department committee meeting. Everywhere up here is hurting to get officers,” White said. “They’re all trying to recruit people.”
Though the council would still need to determine the chief situation, said White, the department would at least have four officers on its roster if Merten and Fletcher pass the POST.
Tuesday’s council meeting may bring more information.
