State - Pontiac agrees to disband police dept.

PONTIAC (AP) -- A cash-strapped Detroit suburb has signed an agreement to disband its police department and turn patrols over to the Oakland County Sheriff. Pontiac Mayor Leon Jukowski says the memorandum of understanding signed Tuesday means that by January the 66,000-resident city located about 20 miles north-northwest of Detroit will no longer have its own police department. Fred Timpner, executive director of the Michigan Association of Police, the union representing Pontiac police officers, said the city should honor a contract that runs through 2012. The Oakland Press and The Detroit News say the agreement that includes 24-hour patrols and dispatch services is expected to save the city about $2 million a year. Pontiac faces a $12 million budget deficit. Published: Thu, Oct 14, 2010