Q: Why did it take the police so long to arrive when I called them last night?

A:  All requests for police services are assigned a priority based on the type of call. Calls with potential for injury or property damage and calls that are serious in nature or occurring at that time will be dispatched as soon as possible. Calls that are less urgent or are belated are considered less of a priority and may be held while officers handle emergencies. The day of the week and time of the call will also determine the length of wait as certain days of the week and hours of the day are busier then others.

     In June 2009 the police department began online reporting for certain types of crimes.  Using the online reporting feature allows you to complete a report at the time of your choosing.  Please follow this link to file an online report.

Q:  Why do the traffic signals sometimes act weird when emergency vehicles are around?

A:  The City of Salina uses a traffic control system designed to give the right-of-way to emergency vehicles.  When the signal detects an approaching emergency vehicle, that vehicle is given a green light and traffic in other directions are given red lights.  This increases safety by reducing the chances of a collision and provides a faster response time to the emergency vehicle.  Also, you might notice cameras at some of our intersections.  These are used to control the traffic lights; other intersections have sensor wires in the pavement, and some are still on timers.  These cameras are only used to detect traffic patterns and change the lights; Salina does not use the cameras for photo traffic enforcement.