PINE LAWN • Pine Lawn's police department may be disbanded and could be taken over by the North County Police Cooperative, a city alderman said Thursday night.

Though nothing is final, a decision could be made as soon as Friday night at a special meeting at city hall or voted on Monday night at the regular board meeting, said Alderman Chester Brown.

“I think this is kind of urgent," Brown said. "It's the money situation. The former mayor vowed to leave us in bad shape before he went to jail and he did just that.”

The former mayor, Sylvester Caldwell, was sent to prison last summer on corruption charges linked to bribing a towing company and a convenience store. In January, Steven Blakeney, a former Pine Lawn police lieutenant, was found guilty in federal court of conspiring with others to falsely arrest a mayoral candidate.

Pine Lawn officials have been meeting for months with other departments about the possibility of consolidation. Brown said they've received bids from Velda City, Northwoods, St. Louis County and the North County Police Cooperative. There also were informal talks with Normandy. He said officials are leaning toward the cooperative.