Oct 1, 2009

Texas town shuts down police department

The Police department gets the boot in the small west Texas town of Marfa.

The police chief and two officers will be terminated when the police department shuts down October 1.

"It's all about consolidation. What we're trying to do is run our community as efficiently as possible," said Marfa mayor, Dan Dunlap.

According to the mayor, the city will save $90,000 a year by hiring the Presidio County Sheriff's Office to replace the local police department.

Although the police department will disappear, the police chief may still have a job if he agrees to take a position mandated by state law: the town marshal.

The job of town marshal in Marfa is part-time, and only pays $4,000 a year.

Marfa has a population of about 2,100.

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