By Associated Press - Wednesday, May 2, 2018

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. (AP) - 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.

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Information from: Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Fla.), http://www.tampabay.com.

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