LAFLIN -- Borough council members voted Monday night to eliminate the Laflin Police Department.
Laflin officials called it a decision that had to be made to save money and better serve people who live in the community.
But at this council meeting, more than a dozen people voiced their concerns to try to save their police force.
"You can't just take a police department and just wash it away and wait for someone to come and rescue us if we're in danger," said Linda Flanaga, of Laflin, who is married to the borough police chief.
In the end, the borough council voted to eliminate the police department and sell off the department's equipment.
That created an uproar with people in the room booing council members.
After the borough meeting, the locks were changed on the doors of the police department.
The borough had three full time police officers and several part-timers.
Police officers thought the department would be eliminated at the end of its contract on December 31, but they said apparently the change is effective immediately.
"We haven't been officially notified by anybody, but by the attitude of the two gentlemen in the office and the man changing the locks, would lead us to believe we are no longer welcome here," said Laflin Chief Michael Flanagan.
Many expressed their outrage at the council's decision.
"The council of Laflin has lied. They have made no attempt whatsoever to negotiate out contract with our police department and it has been their plan all along to disband," said Jamie Andrews of Laflin.
Laflin is a borough of about 1,500 people.
State police will now cover this area.
People are concerned about response times now.
"I was a state trooper and I'm recently retired. The quick answer that seems to be common throughout the Commonwealth is: we're gonna disband and the state will cover. And that's true, but when you disband, we don't get these guys. They don't come onto our force. It's just another borough or township that we have to cover," said Chris Moore of Laflin.
Borough council members had no comment after the meeting, but they did hand over a written statement, which in part reads, "...the borough council appreciates the work of its former police officers."
The mayor of Laflin herself was against disbanding the police department.
Former Laflin police officers say they will look into their next step with the Fraternal Order of Police.
