Letters: City can ponder its police use

Here are a few thoughts for consideration by our elected official and concerned citizens.

With the departure of the city administrator and the police chief, the mayor and city councilors have many decisions ahead of them. The current turmoil and budget overruns need to be dealt with to eventually establish an efficient and dependable police department.

Does the current police study include not only the issues with the Cloquet police department, but also a look at the city’s option to hire the Carlton County sheriff’s department to provide law enforcement for Cloquet, as Thomson did? If not, that is a separate study that should be done. It should consider effectiveness, morale and cost. The sheriff’s department could utilize the new police department offices and garage in the former MCCU building. The city needs answers to these questions before deciding if there is a need to hire a new police chief.

The city administrator position also need to be looked at closely. I feel we need someone NOT from within the city government. A local person would have knowledge of what has been going on and all the good and bad that would go with that. A nonlocal professional city administrator would not have the background on the past three years in Cloquet, but also would NOT have any connections with any current City of Cloquet employees or elected officials.

City Council, the decision is yours.

Don Walsh, Cloquet