County officials consider combining police, sheriff's office

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — County and city officials are considering combining the Albuquerque Police Department and the Bernalillo Sheriff's Office to help with the city's officer shortage. KOAT-TV reports (http://bit.ly/2fopqUI ) that leaders on Thursday talked about combining county and city resources into one public safety department that would collapse all law enforcement and firefighters into one umbrella department. Supporters of the proposal say it would eliminate jurisdiction issues and enable more public safety officers to work in the area. They also say in other states, combining resources can save all departments money. The combined departments are still only an idea. At Thursday's meeting, leaders asked their staff and public safety officials to collaborate on a study exploring the option.