Local law enforcement agencies response to COVID-19
Local law enforcement agencies are taking new precautions to ensure the safety of both their staff and the public. With a reduction in staff for some agencies and reduction in crime for others, there’s one common theme between them all: They’ve been able to adapt with the new changes in social distancing guidelines.
Tricia Knoles with the Kent State University police department said, “A lot of what’s going on right now is a learning experience for everything. It’s just very new. For some people, they’re learning to adapt. The thing with law enforcement and public safety is that it’s always fluid. So, we always have to be adaptable.”
For the Kent State police department, it has reduced the number of staff members working in the office. “We have shift minimum working as far as our officers and dispatchers right now and that is so that our officers can be socially distanced from each other,” Knoles said.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is taking the same precautions after a patrol officer tested positive for the coronavirus. The department now has more employees working from home. The statehouse officer who tested positive did not expose anyone else and he is now healthy and back to work, according to the department. Because of the strict guidelines the department has set in place, it says it reduced the number of workers being put at risk.
If staff members are working in the office, they’re following strict guidelines before anyone can enter the building. “Anyone that is going to come to a facility, goes through the screening process. We do take their temperature,” Ohio State Highway Patrol Sgt. Ray Santiago said.
While the local departments are looking to keep staff members safe, they’re also looking to keep the public safe.
“We’re being very careful in our interactions with the public, keeping in mind social distancing and limiting our exposures by monitoring what we handle and what we pass off to and from members of the public,” Sgt. Santiago said.
The Kent Police Department is also following the same approach. Kent Police Officer Lt. Michael Lewis said, “For people who come into a lot of contact with the general public, understand if one of you gets infected, it could quickly spread throughout the entire agency, and effects multiple people. We’re very aware of the fact and we need to be mindful of that as well, so that we’re making sure we’re not catching something at work, spreading it to our coworkers, and then potentially taking it home to our families.”
Both Brimfield and Kent police departments have seen a reduction in the number of traffic stops for minor offenses. Part of the reason is to help keep officers in the field safe.
Kent Police Officer Lt. Lewis said, “We’re still enforcing traffic laws; we don’t want people to misunderstand that. It’s just- we are not as proactive as we normal are when it comes to that enforcement. We’re not making traffic stops on a lot of very minor violations.” Brimfield Police Chief Roy Mosley said, “We have curtailed back some of the self-initiated traffic stops. We’re not prohibiting that by any means, but we’ve definitely scaled that back intentionally.” It’s part of the process in protecting the public and their staff both officers said.
Sgt. Santiago said the reduction in traffic stops could also be a cause of people following Governor Mike DeWine’s stay at home order. He said with less people on the road traveling, there’s less traffic infractions.
Other types of calls for response have increased, however. Both the Kent and Brimfield police departments have seen an increase in domestic violence calls. Chief Mosley said, “We just had a domestic arrest today- and just a couple of days ago another domestic arrest.” In April 2019, the Brimfield police department had six domestic related calls for service, and as of April 21, the department has already had 12. In the city of Kent, the department received 20 domestic related calls for service and as of April 21, there have already been 25 calls.
Brimfield, Kent State, and the Kent police departments have also had several calls regarding Governor DeWine’s stay at home order. “Our approach on those things is always educational, sort of like: ‘Hey, we just wanted to let you know we received a call from somebody who was concerned about the number of people involved here. Just be conscious of your spacing,’” Chief Mosley said.
In Brimfield, the department responded to a small gathering just before Easter. In Kent, the department responded to a call of almost 30 people playing basketball at Al Lease Park on Denise Dr. According to a police report, police tape was ripped off the equipment. At Kent State, a similar situation occurred. Folks were playing basketball at the court behind the Beall and McDowell residence halls. Knoles said, “Eventually we just had the rec center, (they) went over and took the hoops off.” Nobody was given a citation in any of the situations. Knoles, Lt. Lewis, and Chief Mosley used these situations as educational opportunities.
For all four departments, they each have a similar approach to the coronavirus situation. “I think any department, police, or fire, is going to tell you the same thing… the safety of our staff is first and foremost,” Chief Mosley said. Knowles, Sgt. Santiago, and Lt. Lewis all agree- saying it’s of the upmost importance and safety is the number one priority.
All four departments have also issued N-95 masks for officers in the field to help protect officers in the field.
