SCHENECTADY, N.Y. -- "My father who served in this office from 1956 to 1958 was battling police corruption," said Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton.

Years later, the battle continues as at least five Schenectady police officers face possible termination.

"The officers that don't have their heads and hearts in the right place aren't going to be here," said Police Chief Mark Chaires.

This, as city officials are looking at a number of ways to fight persistent police misconduct - including possible disbandment of the police department according to Mayor Brian Stratton.

"We want to look at every possible option. It may not be feasible. But certainly we'll look into it," said Mayor Stratton.

As a result, Schenectady's Corporation Counsel is analyzing the options - like creating a county-wide police force.

"The call seriousness would dictate where your resources go," said Chaires. "Well, there's more serious calls, more violent felonies and things like that and more serious drug problems in Schenectady because it's an urban area."

Chaires is critical since area towns would likely worry about losing control of their local patrols.

"If there is a county-wide policing solution, it would have to have safeguards to guarantee a balance of police officers," said Stratton.

The mayor said some form of consolidation should be looked at as a potential cost-saving measure either way, though it could be fraught with legal concerns.

New York Department of Civil Service Spokesman David Ernst told us, "Whatever the partners would be, you're dealing with melding two different labor contracts which is always complicated. This is something that doesn't happen a lot. It requires a great deal of legal research."

Another consideration - bringing in the State Police. It's an idea which Chaires also criticizes.

"Based on comparative salaries, for 157 personnel troopers versus 157 for our personnel, the difference is over $3 million in salary. It would be too expensive. And they're not going to do it anyway," he said.

In the end, both the mayor and police chief say while some of the options may be more extreme than others, if you need law enforcement to respond to your neighborhood they'll be there. They argue the problems of a few shouldn't reflect on the job done by the other 161 or so members of the Schenectady Police Department who are doing their jobs.

"It's just an issue of fairness," Chaires said. "The officers who are doing the wrong things are being held accountable. So basically, who are you punishing? You're abolishing the jobs of the officers who have done nothing wrong. That's why I think it's a problem."

Realistic or not, possible plans will be presented at city hall in April - showing just how seriously officials are taking the repeated police misconduct.