Coronavirus is changing how police officers handle calls.
Coronavirus is changing how police officers handle calls.
Police departments across the state are working hard to stay one step ahead of the coronavirus pandemic.
One case of COVID-19 was reported on April 10 in Warren County, as reported by the Register-Mail, and Knox County also reporting its first case in late March, according to the Knox County Health Department.
Officers officers are leaving nothing to chance, handling cases and incidents on the phone whenever possible and limiting all in-person contact.
“Obviously emergency calls we respond to,” Monmouth Police Chief Joe Switzer told the Register-Mail. “If someone needs us or wants to speak with us face-to-face, we’ll respond. Then officers will ask the person if they can come outside instead of going in, and they’ll keep that social distance from them when we do have to face-to-face.”
Officers in Galesburg are taking a similar approach, mostly only responding in person to calls that involve danger to property or someone possibly being hurt.
Overall, police chiefs from both departments admit these days they are trying to make fewer arrests as a way of limiting the spread of the virus. In stops or encounters they do engage in, officers said they are giving out more notices to appear in court when possible in nonviolent cases.
Finally, both departments are concentrating on the sanitation aspect of the job.
Galesburg officers have been directly given cleaning supplies and are required to clean the interiors of their cars daily, while in Monmouth, officers' meetings are being conducted individually between supervisors and officers who stay in their cars.
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