Twenty-six officers who were laid off from the now-defunct Bergen County Police Department turned in their equipment Monday.

The officers were let go amid budget cuts and a union deal that failed by one vote. The Bergen County sheriff says that the layoffs were a result of new state mandates.

“The state now, where it was suggested in the past, has now mandated a sheriff’s officer in every courtroom,” said Sheriff Michael Saudino. “We do not have them in the civil courts.”

Union officials are disputing the claim.

A proposed deal last week would have prevented the layoffs by turning the officers into Bergen County Sheriff’s police officers.

The Bergen County Police Department was merged with the Bergen County Sheriff's Office in 2015.