The Columbus Police Department has adjusted the hours that the department’s front desk is open. Lt. Matt Harris, department spokesman, says the change is being made in an effort to increase the number of officers patrolling the street during peak times for calls for service. He explains that the front desk, located inside the lobby of the Columbus Police Department, is staffed by an officer to answer non-emergency phone calls, complete reports for minor incidents which have already occurred and to answer general questions from the public.

Harris says that the front desk will now be open from Monday thru Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will be closed and closed Saturday and Sunday. A call box, which contacts police dispatch, has been placed at the front door of the police department to request an officer when the desk is closed. Lt. Harris says that calls for service have increased 17-percent over the past five years, necessitating this change. “By having additional officers on the street during evenings and on the weekend, we are able to respond to calls in a timely manner and avoid having the public wait for an officer for an extended period of time,” said Harris.