QUINCY, MI (WTVB) - The Village of Quincy hasn’t had its own police department since 2002, but that could be about to change. The Quincy Village Council will discuss the matter at its regular December meeting tonight. The issue surfaced recently in light of the pending layoff of deputies at the Branch County Sheriff’s Department beginning January First.

For a number of years, the village has had a contract with the Department to provide police coverage in the village for between 70 and 80 hours a week.

However, the budget cutbacks coming to the Sheriff’s Department won’t allow for the same contract agreement and the Council has decided the question of a village police unit should be a high priority for 2013.

The village hopes to contract in some fashion with the Sheriff’s Department to continue coverage until Quincy is able to have its own village police department back in business.