The town council of Mocksville, North Carolina has voted unanimously on June 15 to dissolve its police force. The Davie County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) will take over the responsibilities of policing the town, under Sheriff J.D. Hartman. The Mocksville Police Department (MPD), with its 20 employees, will be shuttered, though reportedly members of the MPD have been instructed to apply for open positions at the DCSO.

A representative of the North Carolina Police Benevolent Association, Brandon McGaha, claims that the issues that lead to the MPD’s being dissolved are not primarily budget issues, but rather are political. He claims the town had been preventing the MPD from being successful in its mission. The council, however, claims that it will save $1.3 million over the next three years and that street-level policing will increase by 75% over that time. The DCSO will also take over the MPD’s fleet of vehicles.