Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond, of Dunedin, said the Dunedin Central police station on Great King St would now be open to the public from 7am until 9pm on weekdays and 8.30am to 6pm on weekends, rather than being open 24/7.
The move would align the station with the rest of the South Island and would allow officers to be out and about rather than behind the counter, Snr Sgt Bond said.
There was a phone outside the station should people need to report something urgently, or they could call 111.
They could also call 105 or go online to report things.
A post by the Southern District Police announcing the move on social media said the decision to change the hours was made after a review, and was driven in part by declining demand for front counter service in the evenings and on weekends.
Community leaders and local iwi from across Dunedin were consulted on the move.
The change in hours would not affect the service available to the community, and police would continue to work from the station at all hours, the statement said.
The post drew an overwhelmingly negative reaction from commenters, who largely panned the cuts to service.
