Coronavirus: Police taking additional safety precautions amid pandemic

Police in Perry Twp. have made changes in the way they operate amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“We're limiting our social interaction with the public,” Officer John Schweser said Thursday.

>> Coronavirus: What you need to know

At the start of each shift, crews disinfect their cruisers by wiping down the interiors.

Schweser said when officers pull someone over they will ask drivers to hold up their licenses and the officer will write down the information. Past practice would have the driver hand the license to the officer, who would then walk it to the police cruiser.

Police responding to call are also wearing personal protective equipment -- including masks and gloves.

Schweser said if someone is showing severe symptoms of illness, he will back off and wait for EMS to get to the scene.

However, these extra safety precautions do not compromise the quality of his department’s law enforcement, he said.

“We’ll give you the respect that you deserve. Just give us the respect. Let us do our job,” Schweser said.