ORANGE : Police Won’t Go to Take Certain Reports

In response to budget cuts that have left the Police Department with 10 unfilled positions, the department will no longer send officers to take reports on minor traffic accidents or petty theft cases, officials said.

Instead, people wishing to report such incidents will have to go to the Police Department themselves to fill out the paperwork.

“We need to have police out in the field to answer calls instead of sit in the office,” said Lt. Trey Sirks, a spokesman for the Police Department. “The major function of the police is to protect life and property of citizens. . . . When we lose manpower, we can’t always provide these other services.”

People appearing at the Police Department to file reports or seek assistance will find that its hours of operation for non-emergency services will also be curtailed. Beginning Thursday, business hours will be 8 a.m to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The current service hours are 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

After hours, those seeking entrance to the department will have to call inside from a phone booth at the front door, Sirks said.

“For example, if a woman pulls up in a car and says someone is following her, we’ll have someone there immediately,” Sirks said. “But if the phone is picked up and someone says they lost a hubcap off their car, we’ll say come back. That’s the difference.

“We can’t tie up an officer taking a report when he could respond to a robbery in progress.”