Salinas Police, Fire discuss funding priorties in special council meeting

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) -- The City of Salinas held a special meeting Friday to outline its legislative priorities across various departments including Salinas Police and Fire.

The meeting included government officials and local, state, and federal representatives.

Salinas Police Chief Carlos Acosta explained how new technology such as flock cameras has helped with investigations.

He also outlines how grants have helped the department focus on an important issue in the community.

"In organized retail theft, we did receive some money on a grant to identify and investigate and arrest people that are involved in organized retail theft," Chief Acosta said. "So, we were very fortunate to hire two investigative specialists that deal with the administrative side of this particular issue, so that officers can focus on the investigative and enforcement side."

Chief Acosta continued saying they will need more funding to address those issues alongside staff wellness.

Salinas Fire Chief Samuel Klemek explained the department's focus on existing infrastructure and the role city and American Rescue Plan funding has played.

Klemek says their decades-old stations and the growth of Salinas highlight the importance of critical funding to their service.

“Our infrastructure is quite aged. We have two fire stations that were built in 1951- 1953 - and are far beyond their useful life and with all of the things that come along with that growth and the growth of the city is that traffic calming, sheer density and traffic, we can't meet response times," Chief Klemek said. "We have to start moving fire stations, especially as we look at other improvements”

Chief Klemek also discussed building resiliency and the impact of the new Fire Station 7.

The meeting also included input from Salinas’s City Manager, Public works, and Community Development Department.