Pontiac Police Dissolve Union; Oak. Co. Sheriff To Patrol Streets
PONTIAC (WWJ) - Changes are coming to Pontiac, after the city police force Wednesday night voted to drop their union.
Rank and file on Wednesday voted to dissolve their union, which allows the city to bring in the Oakland County Sheriff's Department to patrol the streets of Pontiac. Police chief Val Gross tells the Oakland Press the decision will haunt them and the city. Mayor Leon Jukowski says its a sad day but feels the union and its officers did what was best for their families and the city.
The vote came after the state senate approved the emergency financial manager bill, which allows union contracts to be ignored - a proposal that had stiff opposition in Pontiac. The city hopes the cost-cutting move puts them in line for more revenue-sharing money from Lansing.
