On January 18, 2017, the Forest Lake City Council began the process to disband the Forest Lake Police Department, and replace Forest Lake's law enforcement services by contracting with the Washington County Sheriff’s Department. In a letter to Sheriff Bill Hutton, Mayor Ben Winnick and City Administrator Aaron Parrish requested a proposal from the Washington County Sheriff's Office, including "a transition and implementation plan."

The decision to request this proposal was made by the Personnel Committee, which includes only 2 members of the Forest Lake City Council, Ed Eigner and Mike Freer. Prior to making this request, neither the Personnel Committee nor the Forest Lake City Council sought any public input regarding support of this action. On January 23, 2017, the first Forest Lake City Council meeting following the letter to Sheriff Hutton, the City Hall was packed with Forest Lake residents speaking against eliminating our police department.

Tell the Forest Lake City Council, Sheriff Hutton, and the Washington County Board of Commissioners that the Forest Lake Police Department should continue to be the primary provider of law enforcement services in Forest Lake.

Having a county sheriff's department provide law enforcement services to a city the size of Forest Lake is unprecedented. The Forest Lake Police Department currently has 25 full-time officers and 2 administrative assistants. Their jurisdiction covers 36 square miles and a population of more than 20,000 residents. They are known to be responsive, effective, and are an important part of the fabric of the Forest Lake community. As our community grows, having an active police department focused on the specific challenges and needs of our town is vital to our continued public safety. 

Eliminating our police department will no doubt have a negative impact on our residents' safety and security, and will undermine the continued successful growth of our community.