Police in central Pa. won’t respond to some calls to avoid coronavirus

Police officers in Central Pa. are taking measures to limit unnecessary physical contact with the public to reduce possible transmission during the novel coronavirus outbreak.

While face-to-face contact will be required for some duties, officers are planning to take more reports by phone, limit access to their facilities and adjust procedures to lower the chance of catching or spreading COVID-19, police officials say.

Police officials from across the area say officers are handling non-active scenes (meaning the suspect has left the scene) and low-level crimes (like thefts or disorderly conduct) through phone calls when possible and appropriate. Officers also are restricting access to non-public areas inside police stations and carrying more masks, gloves and disinfectants inside their patrol cars.

The local changes mirror shifts that departments are making across the country to stem the tide of coronavirus and keep officers healthy since they can’t work from home like many other workers. Gov. Tom Wolf on Monday ordered a 2-week shutdown on all non-essential business activity.

Some departments are instructing officers to try to stay outdoors if they must respond in-person to a call for service.

“In the past, we would ring the doorbell and nine times out of ten, be invited inside,” said Upper Allen Police Chief James Adams. “But now we’re going to try to stay outside when we can, in the fresh air. Then we don’t need to touch anything inside of the house either.”

In addition, procedures for traffic stops have changed in Upper Allen, Adams said.

Officers who conduct traffic stops still will ask for your driver’s license and registration. But they won’t take the documents back to their patrol car, he said. Instead, they will ask the driver to continue to hold the items while the officer jots down the pertinent information.

Adams said the officers also will only write down the most basic information, then return to the patrol car to look up the rest of the information on a mobile computer.

“It minimizes us having to physically take the documents, because did you just sneeze or cough in your hands?” Adams said. “We’re trying to protect the public too by minimizing physical interactions in case an officer is sick, because it can take a while to be symptomatic.”

Adams said he had all the patrol cars treated last year with PermaSafe, a vehicle disinfection and long-term microbial control system and surface protectant. He’s not sure how effective it could be against the novel coronavirus, but it was a move he took last year to be proactive against other viruses and bacteria that could sicken officers.

Upper Allen also increased minimum patrol staffing levels by one-third for the new few weeks, Adams said, in anticipation of potential problems as residents will be cooped up like never before.

“This is going to stress people,” he said. “And when people are stressed, they can get out of control. We need to be there to bring things back to normalcy.”

In Harrisburg, police aren’t increasing staffing but officers are taking extra efforts to disinfect patrol vehicles, including wiping down computers, steering wheels and handles, before and after each shift and officers are carrying extra personal protective equipment, said Commissioner Thomas Carter.

“All first responders are on the front lines, still serving the public and putting themselves at risk,” he said. “We need everybody to take heed of what the public health professionals are saying about washing hands for 20 seconds, social distancing and staying sheltered. If we all do what we need to do, then we can hopefully overcome this crisis.”

Officers in Harrisburg also are limiting traffic stops and using discretion for arrests, focusing on bringing to jail only the most egregious violators. The jail, meanwhile, is taking the temperatures of all officers and suspects in the county’s booking center and not allowing anyone with a temperature above 100.4 inside to protect staff and inmates.

If a suspect has an elevated temperature, the officer is supposed to bring the person to a hospital to be checked, said police Lt. Milo Hooper.

In York city, police are fast-tracking an online reporting system that previously had been planned for the police website, but is being rolled out weeks ahead of time to allow people to file reports electronically.

The system is intended for low priority calls such as thefts and criminal mischief allegations, said Officer Derek Hartman, spokesman for the department. The system wasn’t online Tuesday, but Hartman said the department hoped to have it up and running by week’s end.

“It’s an ever-evolving situation,” Hartman said of the coronavirus and the department’s response. “We’re obviously looking at and keeping track of the best practices.”

Police agencies in Lancaster city and East Cocalico Township in Lancaster County have suspended fingerprinting services that businesses use to screen potential employees.

Derry Township police said they would continue to offer fingerprinting services but not for anyone who is displaying symptoms of illness. The prescription drug drop-off box in the police lobby is still available for use, but the township has cancelled all tours of the police station.

Lancaster is asking people under self-quarantine or with coronavirus symptoms who need emergency services to let dispatchers know ahead of time so they can take proper precautions. The city is also asking people who want copies of traffic crash reports or employment verification letters to send requests and money into the station via mail instead of visiting in person.

“We have cancelled scheduled meetings, public events, training sessions and limited access to our station,” said Lancaster police Lt. Bill Hickey. “We are encouraging officers to conduct their actions with safety in mind at all times.”

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