SAN CLEMENTE : Ceremony to Mark End of Police Dept.

City officials will hold a ceremony July 1 to mark the end of the community’s 65-year-old Police Department as it merges with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

The ceremony will include the formal transfer of law enforcement services between the two agencies, officials said. Service awards will also be presented to members of the San Clemente Police Department.

This week, after months of emotional debate, a City Council majority approved a $5.8-million, one-year contract to merge the local police force with the Sheriff’s Department, officially starting July 2.

By contracting for services with the Sheriff’s Department, the cash-strapped city will save $2.1 million in the coming fiscal year and be able to increase service, officials said.

The issue has sparked a recall drive against the four council members who voted for the change. A group of residents and business owners is trying to get an initiative on the ballot that would overturn the council’s decision.

The ceremony will be at 10 a.m. at Max Berg Plaza Park, 1100 Calle Puente.

All members of the San Clemente Police Department, and also officials with the Sheriff’s Department, the city and the county, are expected to attend. The public is invited.