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Foley council debates police staffing as calls rise; chief recommends staffing analysis
Summary
Foleyofficials discussed police staffing needs at length after the department reported 4,889 calls for service in 2025 and current staffing of four full-time and five part-time officers; council asked staff to prepare cost comparisons for adding a permanent full-time position versus continued reliance on part-time hires.
Foley, Minn. — The Foley City Council spent a substantial portion of its Jan. 6 meeting discussing police staffing, retention and whether to pursue a permanent full-time officer instead of relying on part-time hires.
Chief Katie McMillan told the council the department has four full-time officers, including the chief, and currently five part-time officers after an impending resignation. "We have four full-time staff, including myself," McMillan said, and added the department responded to 4,889 calls for service in 2025, an increase of 311 calls over 2024 and 374 over 2023.
McMillan said part-time hiring turnover is a challenge: "Over the last three years, we've hired 10 part-timers ... six of those have left," she said. The chief said the department is comfortable with staffing through April but expressed concern about backfilling vacancies and the timing of hires.
Council members asked whether a "permanent part-time" classification or a full-time hire makes better fiscal and retention sense, noting background checks, union requirements, benefits eligibility and onboarding costs for part-time hires have increased. One council member said a full-time position would likely improve retention and community familiarity; another urged staff to prepare a budgeted cost comparison showing the net cost and resource hours tied to turnover, hiring and training.
Chief McMillan said the department's target for part-time staffing would be eight, including a permanent part-time position if bargaining and budget permit. She also said the optimal time to hire is after law-enforcement academy graduations in May, and that the city is awaiting union response on a memoranda of understanding for permanent part-time work.
Next steps: Council asked staff to prepare a cost and budget comparison for adding a full-time officer versus relying on part-time hires, including estimates of onboarding, benefits and retention impacts, and to bring staffing scenarios to a February workshop or future council meeting.
