Kasson hires new officer

The Kasson City Council has approved hiring reserve officer Conner Finley as a full-time officer.
The Kasson Police Department has had trouble hiring in recent years; it started the year with three unfilled full-time officer positions, which has led to a number of issues.
Key among those is the department’s overtime use, which is already over budget, something Kasson Police Chief Joshua Hanson directly attributes to lack of staff.
According to Hanson, hiring more staff will “reduce the overtime now for the rest of the year. So we’d be able to cut a good portion of that from next year’s budget.”
Due to lack of staff, the Kasson police have also struggled to send two officers to each call, what Hanson calls the “best policy” for policing. KPD has been partnering with county law enforcement to send two officers per call.
“They are always willing to help and we do the same,” said Hanson.
Finley is expected to begin July 6 at step one for pay, which has an hourly rate of $33.85.
He recently received his law enforcement degree and POST test after working as a reserve officer in Kasson.
“I think it’s going to help the department and it’s a good thing,” Hanson said about the hire.