In an emergency move coordinated by the NCUA, the $553 millionJustice Federal Credit Union of Chantilly, Va., said Thursday it ismerging the ailing $13.2 million Georgia Department of PublicSafety Credit Union effective May 31.

The consolidation is Justice FCU's first expansion into Atlantaand its first merger since the late 1990s.

Joan Marsh, vice president of retail delivery systems atJustice, said NCUA first invited her credit union among others tobid on the Georgia credit union in April and that it won final NCUAapproval on May 7.

Georgia Department of Public Safety CU, which services Atlantalaw enforcement agencies, has a net worth of 2% and lost $1.4million last year and $370,000 in 2010.

Justice FCU said in a statement that the merger represents agood, easy fit for the D.C. credit union which serves employees ofthe departments of Justice and Homeland Security as well as otherlaw enforcement communities, associations andcontractors.

Justice FCU has 51,000 members and 23 branches in five statesand the District of Columbia.

Georgia Department of Public Safety CU has two Atlanta branches,serves administrative employees of the Department of Public Safety,Georgia State Patrol, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and theDepartment of Driver Services. Justice FCU said it plans to add athird Atlanta metro branch.

Marsh said Justice FCU was represented at a bidders meeting in April inwhich “there were five, six or seven other interested creditunions” and that she is gratified that her credit union was finallyselected.

The new offices in Atlanta come as Justice FCU expands its ATMoperation in the Miami area and plans to open a new branch inChicago in July.

The overall vision of Justice “is to be the premier financialpartner with the Justice, homeland security and law enforcementcommunity,” the Justice FCU statement concluded.