Maywood is a small working class city in Los Angeles County, California, with a population of over 30,000. At 1.14 square miles, Maywood is the third-smallest incorporated city in Los Angeles County.
According to The New York Times, as of July 1, 2010, Maywood became the first municipality in California and perhaps anywhere, to dismantle its police department, lay off all city employees, except for the city manager, city attorney and elected officials, and contract with outside agencies for provision of all municipal services.
Residents feared the disbandment would mean anarchy, but they say since the change, police respond more promptly and city services are running smoothly.
The Times says one reason might be that many who previously worked for the city have been hired by contractors, which has created some sense of continuity.
Photo by Wikipedia.