DETROIT (WWJ) – Beginning next Monday, police precincts in Detroit will stop offering 24-hour desk service.

Precincts will be closed to the public from 4 p.m. until 8 a.m.. Residents who wish to speak to an officer during those times will have to do so by phone.

Changes are aimed at getting more officers on the street.

WWJ Newsradio 950′s Marie Osborne spoke with Eastern District Commander Steven Dolunt who said change is never easy but this will mean my officers on the street.

He said he understand citizen concerns, but he wants people to remember that they can still file a police report by phone or computer. In the case of an emergency, Dolunt said officers will respond to 9-1-1 calls.

“I know people are skeptical but I think, I believe, this is gonna work,” Dolunt said. “I’ve been around 26 years … we haven’t changed policing in about 100 years. The chief has taken the bull by the horns. I give the guy credit.”

Dolunt said Detroit is one of just a few cities in the U.S. that still have around the clock desk service.

Detroit Police Chief Ralph Godbee will be addressing the changes later this week.