legislation forcing merger of Bergen County police, sheriff's departments

[anon-330q]

BERGEN COUNTY — State Sen. Paul Sarlo is considering weighing in on the most hot-button issue in Bergen County politics.

After the Bergen County Freeholders voted against merging the county’s police and sheriff's department earlier this month, Sarlo said he is considering legislation that would force the two agencies to come together, though perhaps at a slower pace.

“What the freeholders did was a disgrace,” Sarlo (D-Bergen) said. “And I am thinking of holding a hearing to bring some reality to the issue.”

The hearing would be on a bill proposed by fellow Bergen County senator Gerald Cardinale, a Republican, that would merge the two departments and, he argues, save taxpayers millions of dollars. http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/10/nj_senator_considering_legisla.html#incart_river_default