UPDATED: Prior Lake Police Chief Mark Elliott resigns

Prior Lake American

Prior Lake Police Chief Mark Elliott has resigned effective immediately, the city of Prior Lake announced Monday.

Administration Undersheriff Booker Hodges of the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office will serve as the interim police chief.

A press release from the city did not state a reason for the resignation. Elliott on Tuesday said he worked with an "extremely dedicated" staff and will miss working with the men and women of the Prior Lake Police Department.

"There's a lot of good people that I enjoyed working with over the years," he said.

City Manager Frank Boyles in the release praised Elliott for growing and improving the police department.

"We are very grateful for his service to the community," Boyles said.

The resignation agreement between Prior Lake and Elliott states both sides want to "fully and finally resolve any and all disputes arising out of Elliott's employment by the City or separation of that employment, without any admission of any kind by either party."

Elliott joined the department in April 2015 after former Police Chief Bill O'Rourke retired. Elliott served on the steering committee for the Scott County Treatment Court, an alternative court to rehabilitate people who are addicted to drugs. He also served on the board of directors for the Southwest Metro Drug Task Force, including as executive director in 2016 and 2017.

"His past experience was coming from narcotics in Bloomington," Southwest Metro Drug Task Force Commander Jason Arras said. "His experience served our task force very well because it offers different perspectives and ideas which we should all welcome to have a betterment in how effectively and efficiently we provide a service to our communities."

Elliott led the effort to secure body cameras for the police department. The Prior Lake City Council approved the purchase of 26 body cameras and 11 squad-mounted cameras for the department in October. He also helped secure a drug task force officer through a co-funding agreement with the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community.

Before he joined the Prior Lake Police Department, Elliott worked at the Bloomington Police Department for 21 years, where he did school liaison work, K9 patrols and investigations. He holds a bachelor of science degree in police science from St. Mary's University, an associate's degree in law enforcement and an associate's degree in general studies, both from the North Hennepin Community College.

Elliott was named a finalist in March for the police chief position in Rochester after a national recruitment process. The position was filled in July by Minneapolis Metropolitan Transit Police Captain Jim Franklin.

"We are so grateful to Mark for all the work he has done on our behalf," Prior Lake Mayor Kirt Briggs said in the news release.

Per the resignation agreement, Elliott will receive more than $54,420 in severance pay and more than $17,500 from 288 hours of accrued vacation time. The agreement also releases both the city and Elliott from "charges, claims, grievances, demands, actions, liabilities, suits, or causes of actions ... attorney fees, damages" that either have had, have, or will have against each other.

The city and Elliott can also make no "disparaging or defamatory comments" about each other, including what led to Elliott's resignation or the resignation agreement.

Both Elliott and Boyles signed the resignation agreement on Dec. 3.

Hodges has worked in law enforcement for 13 years with positions as a school resource officer, patrol deputy, narcotics detective, SWAT operator, patrol overnight watch commander and inspector.

He is the only active police officer to serve as branch president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. During his time as president, he created an agreement to improve working conditions for employees of color, according to the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office website.

Booker is a certified human resource manager and diversity instructor and speaks nationally about unconscious bias, recruiting officers and retaining workforces.

Booker holds a doctorate degree in public administration from Hamline University, a master's degree from St. Mary's University and a bachelor's degree from Florida Southern College. He is an adjunct professor at Northwestern University in St. Paul and is the Northstar chapter president of the National Associate of Black Law Enforcement Executives, according to its website.

He is married and has two sons.