Brainerd Police Chief Asks City To Expand Police Force

How many cops does a city of 13,000 people with a relatively high crime rate need? That was the topic of discussion at last night’s Brainerd city budget meeting.

Brainerd Police Chief Corky Mcquiston wants to see at least three licensed officers added to the force. Because of budget cuts, Brainerd lost four officers nearly a decade ago, and the police department wants more personnel to focus on crime prevention.

Currently, there are 24 officers staffed at the Brainerd police department.

According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s 2017 Uniform Crime Report, Brainerd ranks 7th in terms of crime rate in the state.