ELY - Troy Bissonette, Babbitt’s police chief, has applied to join the Ely Police Department, requesting to be hired at a five-year pay step rather than as a new officer.
The move comes as Babbitt continues to struggle with recruitment in an increasingly competitive law enforcement job market. The chief’s application to Ely was discussed during a recent city council meeting, where officials debated whether to approve the lateral transfer request.
“Law enforcement is a pretty competitive field right now. Most agencies are fighting for recruits,” said Ely Police Chief Chad Houde, acknowledging the broader challenges facing rural police departments.
Bissonette is asking to come in at the five-year step on Ely’s pay scale, which would represent approximately a $6,000 to $9,000 annual wage difference compared to starting pay.
The Ely Police Commission has already met and recommended hiring the chief at the requested pay level, according to discussion during the meeting. Local 55 union representation has also weighed in, stating they wouldn’t challenge the hire.
The request sparked concerns about setting precedent for future lateral transfers. Councilor John Lahtonen raised questions about the process, noting that the city’s Law Enforcement Services contract doesn’t explicitly address lateral transfers.
“Nowhere in LES is mentioned lateral transfer,” Lahtonen said.
Other council members emphasized the difficulty of finding qualified officers. “Every time we have one [opening], somebody else takes them,” said Councilor Jerome Debeltz. “We’ve got a trained officer coming in who knows everything about being a police officer.”
City attorney Kelly Klun suggested making the hire contingent upon an agreement with the union that it would be non-precedent setting. The council ultimately voted to approve the lateral transfer with that condition, with Lahtonen casting the dissenting vote.
The decision will require a memorandum of understanding with the union specifying that the five-year placement is non-precedential before the hire can be finalized.