Foley’s Police Department Off to a ‘Good Start’ [AUDIO]

FOLEY - Foley's police department is still in it's infancy, but the chief says things are going well so far.

Chief Brant Standridge started his new position on June 9th, becoming the city's first full-time chief since the old department was disbanded in 2003.

Standridge says, while they don't have all of the equipment they would like, they have the minimum to get by for now.    He credits the city council with making sure they had the funds available to get the department up and running.

The newly formed Foley police department also has two full-time officers, besides Standridge, they are Katie Lang and Brian Murphy.  The city had been patrolled by deputies from the sheriff's department, but that partnership ended at the end of last year.

Standridge says he wants an open-door policy.

Standridge says he's been getting a lot of positive feedback from the residents so far.  Foley had been without a police department since 2003.  They have used deputies from the Benton County Sheriff's department up until last year, when the city ended the partnership.

Standridge grew up in the small town of Wyoming, Minnesota and he has spent his entire professional career working in smaller departments.  His most recent job was as a highway safety officer for the White Earth Tribe.