A plan is in the works to combine three panhandle law enforcement agencies.
The proposed plan would create a single department consisting of 60 to 70 officers to patrol Scottsbluff, Gering, and Terrytown.
Scotts Bluff County Sheriff Mark Overman says he will have a plan completed and ready to present by April 1st.
Currently, Scottsbluff and Gering only have interim police chiefs.
Overman says as of right now, he is not expecting any layoffs and this plan will solve the problem of the vacancies.
"There's people in Nebraska that are doing that right now, and doing it well... very professional, well respected organizations. So we are going to talk to them and consult with them about how they do it... And see what we think will work best for us," Overman said.
Sottsbluff Mayor Randy Meininger supports the idea, saying more than 50 percent of the city's current budget is spent on policing.
"Citizens of the city expect us to do our due diligence and to look at ways we can perform our services better of more efficient... and therefore save taxpayer money."
After the Sheriff delivers the plan, the mayors of Scottsbluff, Gering, and Terrytown will discuss how to move forward and make it a reality.
