Department of Justice announces two-year stay in Salinas

Thursday the Department of Justice made their presence known in Salinas as officials announced a two-year plan of action for the city and the police department.

United States DOJ officials said staff will be in Salinas for two years, the first eight months in an assessment phase.

Members of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services will be with officers on the streets, in the station, looking over policy and much more. After those eight months the DOJ will release a report to the public its findings.

Staff from COPS were first in Salinas some time ago to determine whether they would agree to take on Salinas Police and the community policing effort.

Following the string of office involved shootings in 2014, Chief Kelly McMillin reached out to the DOJ requesting this program come to Salinas.

The DOJ COPS program requires that officers buy in to the training and strategies they put in place in order for the community policing philosophy to be successful.