The Salinas police department announced yesterday(Thurs) that the department’s lobby will only be open 4-days-a-week. The civilian employees that staff the lobby will be furloughed when the lobby is closed, every Friday. Today marks the first day of closure. The lobby serves about 85 people a day, to take reports of minor or past crimes. A phone line has been installed next to the lobby doors, which can connect someone with a Monterey County dispatcher, in case the matter is urgent. Otherwise, the police department will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays. The move does not affect any sworn officers.
