BROOKSVILLE — A small Florida city is getting rid of its police department.
The Tampa Bay Times reports that the Brooksville City Council voted 4-1 on Monday to contract with the Hernando County Sheriff's Office for law enforcement services. The dissenting council member says the move will lead to a decrease in coverage, and the sheriff isn't paying enough for the city's police vehicles and weapons.
Brooksville will pay the sheriff's office $967,624 in the first full fiscal year, with increases of up to 3 percent in the first three years and up to 5 percent in the years that follow.
The deal could save the city $1.7 million annually, and nearly all of the city's two dozen officers and staff will have new jobs in the region.
The city's police chief was fired in March.