The Mound Police Department will go out of business at the end of the year after 83 years of service to the community. All 10 Mound officers will begin working for the Orono Police Department on Jan. 1 as part of a consolidation.
Mound City Manager Kandis Hanson said the city will pay Orono about $1.5 million annually, and expects to save at least $200,000 per year.
The consolidation isn't unusual, she said, and many small cities are sharing services to cut costs.
Orono's officers already serve Minnetonka Beach and Spring Park under contracts with those cities.
Mound has been studying ways for its police department to save money and improve service, including discussions with the city of Minnetrista.
That plan fell through earlier this summer, and Mound's City Council voted 4-1 recently on a 10-year contract with Orono.
The Mound police station will become a precinct as part of the arrangement.
