SILVER CREEK – While the Silver Creek and Hanover continue to talk savings in policing, the village is closing in on officially disbanding the village police department.

At the recent village board meeting, board members considered acting to “proceed with the dissolution of the Silver Creek Police Department.”

Under previous attorney Dan Gard, the village “mothballed” the department to contract police service with the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office.

The board decided to wait a little longer before making it official.

“I would like to table this until our attorney (Jeff Shevlin Jr.) has time ot become familiar with the proper procedure,” Trustee Warren Kelly said.

The board agreed and tabled the action.

Mayor Nick Piccolo reported there is some interest in some of the village police’s excess equipment. He said the village will likely sell the fingerprint machine and remaining computers on the Auctions International website. No action was taken on this to discuss what the sheriff’s office might like to buy.

In order to save money in the impending budget crunch, the village and town of Hanover have been working on a proposed shared sheriff’s contract. The contract would benefit both municipalities, which each spend over $350,000 a year on policing now. The board did not get to talk about the proposed savings at a recent workshop, but are expected to do so at the next workshop on Tuesday at 9 a.m. in the village hall.

The village will also meet with its auditor, Laura Napoli of Bahgat & Laurito-Bahgat, on Thursday at 9 a.m. in the village hall. The regular meeting has been rescheduled from Feb. 15 to Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. in observance of Presidents’ Day and the court schedule.