Monterey County sheriff cutting services as part of $5.8M in budget cuts

By Tim Fang

The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office is closing some services at its substations, as part of more than $5 million in budget cuts.

In a statement Monday, the agency said lobby services in Monterey and King City would be closed as of Nov. 17.

Residents seeking incident reports, crime reports, other in-person services or administrative inquiries will now have to travel to the main office in Salinas. For residents in the rural southern part of the county, including communities such as King City, San Ardo and Bradley, the main office is more than an hour away by car.

“We understand that closing our substations in Monterey and King City will have an impact on lobby services in those areas,” Sheriff Tina Nieto said in a statement.

Officials said the decision was prompted after the sheriff’s office had to cut $5.8 million to help the county balance its annual budget. As part of the cuts, administrative staff from the substations are being reassigned to Salinas.

Patrol services from both substations will remain unchanged, the sheriff’s office said.

 “Our deputies will continue to serve and protect every part of Monterey County with the same dedication and professionalism,” Nieto added.