COVIDPandemic

CRITICAL ISSUES IN POLICING SERIES
Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic:

What Police Learned from One of the
Most Challenging Periods of Our Lives
Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic:

What Police Learned from One of the
Most Challenging Periods of Our Lives
December 2021
This publication was supported by the Motorola Solutions Foundation. The points of view
expressed herein are the authors’ and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the
Motorola Solutions Foundation or all Police Executive Research Forum members.
Police Executive Research Forum, Washington, D.C. 20036

Copyright © 2021 by Police Executive Research Forum
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
ISBN: 978-1-934485-63-7
Graphic design by Dave Williams.
Cover photos, clockwise from upper left, courtesy of Baltimore Police Department,
Los Angeles Police Department, St. Mary’s County, MD Sheriff’s Office,
Charleston Police Department and Los Angeles Police Department.
Contents
Message from PERF Executive Director Ensuring that Released Inmates Would Have Support
Outside of Jail.................................................................. 21
Chuck Wexler...........................................1
Health Procedures Within the Jails................................. 21
Acknowledgments................................................................ 3
The Police Role in Ensuring Compliance with
Sidebar: PERF Daily COVID Reports.................................. 4
Public Health Orders: Educators versus Enforcers........ 22
Sidebar: Spring Break Enforcement................................... 25
Executive Summary and Key Takeaways: Community Engagement.................................................. 25
The Police Response to the Connecting with Vulnerable Communities..................... 26
COVID-19 Pandemic...............................7 Sidebar: Salisbury, MD Police Reached Out
Background: What Police Already Knew To Vulnerable Poultry Plant Workers................................. 27
When COVID-19 Struck..................................................... 7 The Impact of COVID-19 in College Towns,
Maintaining Essential Services, While Avoiding and the Police Role.......................................................... 28
Devastating Outbreaks Among Officers........................... 8 Utilizing Technology.......................................................... 29
Key Takeaways Looking Forward....................................... 8 Enabling Work-from-Home Capabilities......................... 29
Backup Plans and Changing Plays on the Fly................. 11 Remote Conferencing...................................................... 30
Police Use of Drones for COVID-Related Purposes....... 30
Chapter 1: How Internal Impacts of COVID-19 on Training.................................. 30
Police Operations Changed Recruit Training................................................................ 30
During COVID-19.................................13 In-Service Training........................................................... 31
Initial Responses to the Pandemic................................... 13 Impact on Recruiting and Hiring..................................... 32
Activating Emergency Operation Centers....................... 13 Effective Internal Communication.................................. 33
Ensuring Continuity of Operations................................. 14 Impact of COVID-19 on Police Budgets......................... 34
Continuity of 911 Centers................................................ 15
Adjusting Staffing to Reduce COVID-19 Chapter 2: Officer Safety and Wellness
Transmission and Ensure Staff Availability..................... 16
During COVID-19.................................36
Work Schedules............................................................... 16
Social Distancing On-Duty............................................... 36
Personnel Assigned to Specialized Units....................... 16
Sidebar: Shifting to 1-Person Squad Cars
Monitoring of Staffing Levels.......................................... 17 To Prevent Spread of COVID............................................ 37
Adjusting the Police Response Implementing Safety Protocols......................................... 37
To Requests for Services.................................................... 18
Health Screenings........................................................... 37
Changes in Essential Services......................................... 18
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)............................ 38
Changes in Non-Essential Services................................ 19
Sidebar: Safety Protocols Were Similar
Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in Jails.................. 19 Around the World.............................................................. 38
Reducing the Inmate Population.................................... 19 Cleaning Protocols.......................................................... 39
Releasing Hundreds of Inmates Early............................ 20
Screening Calls for Service Increases in Hate Incidents
To Collect Health Information......................................... 39 Targeting Asian Americans............................................. 56
Sidebar: In Israel, Police Enforced Very Tight Restrictions Assisting Vulnerable Populations..................................... 57
On the Public’s Travel and Activities................................. 41 Domestic Violence During COVID-19............................ 58
COVID-19: The #1 Cause of Death to Police Officers.... 42 Protecting Vulnerable Children
Ensuring the Mental and Emotional Wellness During the Pandemic...................................................... 59
Of First Responders........................................................... 43 Responding to Individuals Experiencing
Providing Off-Duty Support to Officers and Homelessness During COVID-19................................... 59
Their Families..................................................................... 45 Multi-Agency Collaboration............................................. 60
Vaccinating Officers........................................................... 46 Coordinating a Regional Response to COVID-19.......... 61
Vaccine Distribution Logistics........................................ 46 Coordinating Supplies and Resources............................ 61
Vaccinations of Professional Staff Members.................. 47 Coordinating Staffing...................................................... 61
The Denver Police Department’s Role Public Health Partnerships............................................. 62
In Testing the Moderna Vaccine...................................... 48 Data-Sharing During COVID-19...................................... 62
Combatting Vaccine Hesitancy Vaccine Distribution........................................................ 63
In Law Enforcement Agencies......................................... 49
Some Cities and States Impose Vaccine Mandates
As Vaccination Rates Plateau.......................................... 51 Conclusion..............................................64
Sidebar: Commissioner Dermot Shea on Police as COVID-19 Humanitarians............................... 64
How COVID Impacted NYC............................................. 52
Responses Have Changed
As the Pandemic Drags On............................................... 65
Chapter 3: How COVID-19 Impacted “As We Go to Print….”....................................................... 65
Crime and the Work of Policing............54
Crime and the Police Response........................................ 54 About PERF......................................................................... 67
Early Warnings of Changing Crime Patterns
About the Motorola Solutions Foundation..................... 68
During the Pandemic...................................................... 54
Homicides, Shootings, and Carjackings
Increased......................................................................... 55
Message from PERF Executive Director
Chuck Wexler
Dear colleagues, Fast forward to March 2020. The world was just
starting to come to grips with the fact that we might
In October 2007, PERF released a Critical Issues in be facing a pandemic that could change everyone’s
Policing report called Police Planning for an Influ- lives. PERF’s 2007 report was the only report avail-
enza Pandemic: Case Studies and Recommendations able to police agencies about steps they should begin
from the Field. taking to deal with the crisis. In fact, during the
At the time, it didn’t seem like a typical PERF entire period of the pandemic, I’ve kept a copy of our
report. What did medical issues have to do with report on my desk.
policing? So in my introduction, I felt a need to At PERF, my staff recognized the importance of
explain why we produced the report: what was happening with COVID-19. We believed
Why would a flu pandemic be a police problem, as that the most important thing we could do for the
opposed to a public health problem? There are sev- policing profession at that time was to gather infor-
eral reasons: Police may be called mation about the police response to
upon to enforce quarantines, COVID from all over the country
to provide security in hospitals and the world, and get the informa-
swamped with patients, and to tion out to the field quickly, usually
ensure that vaccines—when they the next day.
became available in limited quan- So we made a decision to
tities—could be delivered to those issue a “Daily COVID-19 Report”
with the greatest need for them. every working day on the develop-
But perhaps the biggest rea- ing national emergency. We didn’t
son why a flu pandemic would be know how long the pandemic
a police problem lies in the answer would last. But as the months went
to this question: Whenever any- by, we never had any difficulty find-
thing bad happens, who do peo- ing new aspects of the pandemic to
ple call? The local public health cover, or new people to interview.
agency? How many people even One of the first outbreaks that
know the name of their public health agency, much grabbed the United States’ attention was in Kirkland,
less its phone number? When bad things happen, WA, where at least 26 people had died of COVID in
people call the police. a single nursing home. (That death toll later increased
to 37.) So I called Cherie Harris, the police chief in
There was nothing like our 2007 report. It had Kirkland, and asked her about what was happening,
111 pages of detailed information, including four and importantly, what she was doing to ensure that
case studies of far-sighted police departments (in COVID would not sweep through her department the
Fairfax County, VA; Toronto; Overland Park, KS; way it did in the nursing home.
and London) that had prepared for the exact type To her great credit, Chief Harris already had a
of scenario that the world would face 13 years later, detailed written plan that she shared with us, with
with COVID-19. systems for COVID-testing of her officers, use of
Message from PERF Executive Director Chuck Wexler — 1

personal protective equipment, sanitizing procedures wait until we had all the answers. They quickly recog-
at police facilities and the jail, changes in response nized the threats and dealt with them immediately.
to calls for service to minimize spread of the virus Our earliest Daily Reports show that within
between officers and community members, return- weeks, police were doing things like:
to-work protocols, and statistical information. • Changing their shift schedules in order to mini-
My interview with Chief Harris was featured in mize officers’ contacts with each other;
PERF’s first “Daily COVID-19 Report.”
Over the coming year, we produced approxi- • Finding other ways to reduce person-to-person
mately 120 Daily COVID-19 Reports, all of which contacts, such as holding roll calls outdoors or
are available online at www.policeforum.org/covid- online;
19-response. (See the sidebar on page 4 for a list of • Announcing new ways of responding to non-
these reports, to get a sense of the issues we covered emergency calls from the public online or by
and the experts we interviewed.) phone, but also finding new ways to stay in touch
Our reports were not summaries of news media with their communities, largely through the use of
articles; they were original research and reporting. technology;
Mostly, we interviewed police chiefs, sheriffs, may- • Helping officers and their families cope with the
ors, public health officials, and other experts from new stresses of COVID, including officers who
across the United States, and also from England, had to quarantine following a possible COVID
Scotland, Israel, Italy, Canada, and other locations. exposure and officers who became ill.
Every morning at 10:30, a core group of about
seven of us at PERF would have a meeting to plan the • Finding ways to help vulnerable populations,
next few days’ worth of Daily COVID-19 Reports. such as elderly persons living alone and persons
We felt like newspaper reporters and editors, bounc- experiencing homelessness;
ing ideas off each other and developing plans for • Preparing for increases in domestic violence
interviewing sources, gathering information, and calls resulting from COVID-related stresses and
writing up our results on tight deadlines. I called this abusers spending more time at home;
group the 10:30 Team. • Finding new ways to engage their communities
(Later, on May 25, 2020, the killing of George during a time of social distancing;
Floyd in Minneapolis resulted in another national
crisis, with hundreds of protests and civil distur- • Communicating with vulnerable immigrant
bances across the nation, calls for reform measures, communities;
and related issues. So we launched a similar set of • Encouraging compliance and enforcing mask
more than 130 daily reports, known as the Daily mandates and other public health orders;
Critical Issues Reports, available here: https://www. • Preventing hate crimes against Asian-Americans.
policeforum.org/critical-issues-reports.)
Police faced increasingly difficult issues over the
months to come. Governors began announcing stay-
The police response to COVID at-home orders, restrictions on public gatherings,
is a remarkable story requirements that people wear masks when using
The report you are holding tells a great story of how grocery stores and other essential services, and other
police departments across the United States and rules designed to reduce the spread of COVID and
around the world had to adapt their own tactics and save lives. The delicate and complex task of ensuring
policies and then respond to evolving community compliance with these orders often fell to local law
outbreaks. enforcement.
I think it’s remarkable how well police and sher- Overall, a historian reading this report and
iffs’ departments responded to the pandemic, espe- our Daily COVID-19 Reports could conclude that
cially during the first critical weeks, when few people American police agencies and sheriffs’ offices were
understood how long it might last and how it would very adaptive and quick-moving in protecting the
impact our daily lives. Police chiefs and sheriffs didn’t public during this unprecedented crisis.
2 — Message from PERF Executive Director Chuck Wexler

Police showed great creativity and resource- Director Craig Fischer, who were involved every day,
fulness in finding ways to reduce COVID-related suggesting topics for new reports and editing the
harms to their communities. At the same time, drafts. Kevin and Craig also did the final editing of
police were able to prevent COVID from sweeping this report.
through their departments to an extent that could Special credit goes to three people on the 10:30
have compromised public safety. Team:
• My Executive Assistant Soline Simenauer did
Acknowledgments the essential work of calling the chiefs and other
experts we wanted to interview, and finding times
I’m grateful to all the police chiefs, sheriffs, other law
when they could all get on a conference call with
enforcement personnel, and other experts whom I
me.
interviewed over the past year about how COVID
was affecting their agencies, what they were doing • Assistant Director of Communications James
about it, and which strategies were proving most McGinty wrote the first draft of nearly all of the
effective. I never had a police chief or sheriff tell me reports, almost always on a tight deadline. Often
“Sorry, I’m too busy,” even though I’m certain they we would interview several experts on a topic in
were very busy. the late afternoon, and James somehow was able
I’m also thankful to the Motorola Solutions to transcribe and organize the interviews into a
Foundation. I’ve always said that what is truly spe- Daily Report within a couple hours. The Team
cial about PERF’s relationship with Motorola is that then would quickly make any edits, and James
the Foundation gives PERF the freedom to respond would set up the final version that night on PERF’s
immediately to critical situations in policing. First, it membership database, so it could be emailed to
was Motorola who supported PERF’s 2007 report on PERF members and the news media at 7:00 the
the threat of pandemics. And the Motorola Solutions next morning.
Foundation enabled PERF to conduct the research in • Sarah Mostyn drafted this Critical Issues in Polic-
this report and our Daily Reports. I am also grateful ing report. Sarah also oversaw the development
to the Howard G. Buffett Foundation for providing and analysis of several pandemic-related surveys
additional support for this project, and to Howard that PERF conducted.
Buffett for his personal support in recognizing what
a life-changing event the COVID pandemic would Many other PERF staffers contributed their
become. expertise on various COVID-related topics. PERF
I’m grateful to my friend Greg Brown, Motorola Summer Associate Madeleine Smith assisted with
Solutions Chairman and CEO; Jack Molloy, Executive organizing and outlining this report, and Dave
Vice President of Products and Sales; Jason Winkler, Williams designed and laid out this publication.
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Offi- I hope you will find this report useful as you pre-
cer; Jim Mears, Senior Vice President; Tracy Kimbo, pare for what lies ahead with COVID-19 pandemic
Chief of Staff, Global Enterprise and Channels; Mon- and related issues.
ica Mueller, Vice President of Government Affairs;
Shamik Mukherjee, Chief Marketing Officer; Karem
Perez, Executive Director of the Motorola Solutions Best,
Foundation; and Wesley Anne Barden, Manager of
Evaluation and Grantmaking at the Foundation.
Many PERF staff members contributed to this
project, including the core group who worked with
me every day on the Daily Reports. The 10:30 Team Chuck Wexler
included Chief Program Officer Kevin Morison; Executive Director
Tom Wilson, Director of PERF’s Center for Applied Police Executive Research Forum
Research and Management; and Communications Washington, D.C.
Message from PERF Executive Director Chuck Wexler — 3

PERF Daily COVID Reports
Following is a list of PERF’s Daily COVID-19 • Thursday, April 9: Protecting elderly persons, and
Reports. Click on each title to see the full Miami PD heat maps
reports. All Daily COVID-19 Reports are • Friday, April 10: Internal communications and new
available at https://www.policeforum.org/ guidance from the CDC
covid-19-response. • Monday, April 13: Staffing and scheduling
2020 • Tuesday, April 14: Police use of masks
• Tuesday, March 17: Interview with Kirkland, WA Chief • Wednesday, April 15: The role of sergeants
Cherie Harris • Thursday, April 16: Interview with Superintendent Micky
• Wednesday, March 18: Adjusting work schedules and Rosenfeld, National Spokesman to Foreign Media,
suspending roll calls Israel Police
• Thursday, March 19: Interviews with police executives • Friday, April 17: Interview with NYPD Commissioner
Dermot Shea
• Friday, March 20: Limiting in-person police responses
• Monday, April 20: Police executives from California,
• Monday, March 23: Interviews with police executives, Oregon, and Washington State discuss easing
and officer wellness resources restrictions
• Tuesday, March 24: Addressing officer safety concerns • Tuesday, April 21: NYPD coronavirus report and
and changes to training programs interviews with Police Scotland Chief Constable Iain
• Wednesday, March 25: Interviews with sheriffs about Livingstone and Miami Chief Jorge Colina
reducing jail populations and protecting deputies • Wednesday, April 22: Managing COVID demonstrations
• Thursday, March 26: Interviews with NYPD in state capitals
Commissioner Dermot Shea, First Deputy • Thursday, April 23: Officer wellness during the
Commissioner Benjamin Tucker, and Chief of pandemic
Department Terry Monahan
• Friday, April 24: Engaging the community while social
• Friday, March 27: Interviews with Florida chiefs and distancing
sheriffs
• Monday, April 27: Budget challenges in police
• Monday, March 30: The impact of COVID-19 on departments and sheriffs offices
persons experiencing homelessness
• Tuesday, April 28: Fraud and cybercrime during
• Tuesday, March 31: Interviews with sheriffs about jails COVID-19
and officer wellness
• Wednesday, April 29: Budget challenges in larger police
• Wednesday, April 1: Interviews with Aurora, IL Chief departments
Kristen Ziman and Detroit Chief James Craig
• Thursday, April 30: Interview with Italian Carabinieri
• Thursday, April 2: Managing emergency Colonel Pietro Carrozza, commander of the Verona
communications centers region
• Friday, April 3: Domestic violence during the COVID-19 • Friday, May 1: Communicating with immigrant
crisis communities
• Monday, April 6: Interviews with London Met Deputy • Monday, May 4: Police labor leaders discuss their
Commissioner Stephen House and PSNI Chief concerns
Constable Simon Byrne
• Tuesday, May 5: Reopening businesses in Georgia and
• Tuesday, April 7: Supporting and managing officers out South Carolina
sick
• Wednesday, May 6: Challenges in California, Florida,
• Wednesday, April 8: Interviews with Canadian officials and Texas beach towns
• Thursday, May 7: Hate crimes against Asian-Americans
4 — PERF Daily COVID Reports

• Friday, May 8: Interview with NYPD Deputy • Monday, July 20: Opioid overdoses during the COVID-
Commissioner John Miller 19 pandemic
• Monday, May 11: Policing in COVID-19 hot spots • Tuesday, July 21: Challenges for transit police during the
pandemic
• Tuesday, May 12: How has the pandemic affected crime
rates? • Thursday, July 30: University police chiefs discuss
school reopening plans
• Wednesday, May 13: Protests and civil disturbances in
the COVID environment • Friday, July 31: Spikes in Omaha, Columbus, and
Indianapolis
• Thursday, May 14: Preparing for demonstrations and
protests in big cities • Monday, August 3: How COVID-19 and defunding are
impacting police budgets
• Friday, May 15: Updates from Yonkers, NY; Los
Angeles; and Northern Italy • Tuesday, August 4: How COVID-19 has impacted
training
• Monday, May 18: Collaboration between police
• Thursday, August 6: School police chiefs discuss the
departments and sheriffs offices
upcoming academic year
• Tuesday, May 19: Interviews with Police Psychologist
• Tuesday, August 11: How the pandemic is affecting
Dr. John Nicoletti and Castle Rock, CO Chief Jack
hurricane emergency management
Cauley
• Wednesday, August 12: The impact of the pandemic on
• Wednesday, May 20: Patrol officers share their
airport police
experiences
• Friday, August 21: How FirstNet has helped first
• Thursday, May 21: How COVID-19 has impacted responders during the pandemic and demonstrations
homicide investigations
• Friday, September 4: Jail operations during the
• Friday, May 22: How public information officers’ jobs pandemic
have changed during the pandemic
• Friday, September 11: The impact of the pandemic on
• Tuesday, May 26: Taking over an agency in the midst of human trafficking
a pandemic
• Tuesday, September 15: Interview with NYPD
• Wednesday, May 27: Changes to training programs Commissioner Dermot Shea about 9/11, COVID-19,
• Thursday, May 28: How the pandemic has changed and crime
prosecutors’ work • Wednesday, September 16: How has the pandemic
affected speeding and traffic safety?
• Friday, May 29: Resuming some normal operations
• Wednesday, September 23: Massachusetts chiefs
• Wednesday, June 3: The pandemic’s impact on data
discuss their response to the pandemic
collection, analysis, and metrics
• Thursday, September 24: Honolulu Chief Susan Ballard,
• Thursday, June 4: The intersection of COVID-19,
Kauai Chief Todd Raybuck, and Miami-Dade Police
demonstrations, and riots
Director Freddy Ramirez discuss enforcement of
• Friday, June 5: Using drones for COVID-related COVID regulations
purposes • Friday, October 2: Update from Superintendent Micky
• Wednesday, June 10: Cities where COVID-19 has yet to Rosenfeld, National Spokesman to Foreign Media,
peak Israel Police
• Friday, June 12: The impact of COVID-19 on police • Wednesday, October 7: Wisconsin chiefs discuss their
recruitment and hiring practices increase in cases
• Friday, June 19: Thoughts from PERF’s Research • Thursday, October 8: North Dakota and South Dakota
Advisory Board police chiefs discuss the rise of COVID cases in their
states
• Monday, June 29: Managing sharp increases in Texas
and Arizona • Monday, October 19: Midwest university police chiefs
discuss local COVID increases and students’ return to
• Wednesday, July 8: Chiefs in medium-size Texas cities campus
discuss recent spikes
>> continued on page 6
PERF Daily COVID Reports — 5

continued from page 5 • Friday, December 18: Security for vaccine transportation
and distribution
• Monday, October 26: COVID-19 and election
• Monday, December 21: Survey: What police executives
preparations in Michigan
are expecting with coronavirus vaccines
• Monday, November 9: Interview with Italian Carabinieri
• Tuesday, December 22: Interviews with agencies that
Colonel Pietro Carrozza
will be requiring employees to take the vaccine
• Friday, November 13: COVID increases in Colorado,
• Wednesday, December 23: Preventing and responding
Nebraska, and Kansas
to vaccine-related fraud
• Monday, November 16: The police role in vaccine
• Tuesday, December 29: Vaccine distribution to agency
distribution
personnel
• Tuesday, November 17: Interviews with Kirkland, WA
• Wednesday, December 30: Policing New Year’s Eve
Chief Cherie Harris; Aurora, IL Chief Kristen Ziman; and
celebrations during the pandemic
Detroit Chief James Craig
• Friday, November 20: Use of reserve officers during the 2021
pandemic
• Wednesday, January 6: University police prepare for the
• Monday, November 30: Interview with Denver Chief spring semester
Paul Pazen about his agency’s participation in the
• Friday, January 8: Interview with London Metropolitan
Moderna vaccine study
Police Deputy Commissioner Sir Steven House
• Tuesday, December 1: Interview with San Diego County
• Tuesday, January 12: Interviews with Austin, TX Chief
Sheriff William Gore about enforcing COVID public
Brian Manley, Janesville, WI Chief David Moore, and
health orders
New Castle County, DE Major Wendi Feeser about
• Monday, December 7: The police response to vaccine distribution
homelessness during the pandemic
• Wednesday, January 13: Responding to the COVID
• Tuesday, December 8: Interview with NYPD Chief Terry surge in California
Monahan; Phoenix, AZ Chief Jeri Williams; Providence,
• Tuesday, January 19: Responding to the COVID surge in
RI Chief Hugh Clements; and Hennepin County, MN
Arizona
Sheriff David Hutchinson
• Wednesday, January 27: How police chaplains are
• Thursday, December 10: Interview with Yonkers, NY
supporting officers and civilian employees during the
Police Commissioner John Mueller and Newark, NJ
pandemic
Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose
• Monday, February 1: Interview with Dr. Kevin J. Strom
• Friday, December 11: Interview with Long Beach, CA
from RTI International
Chief Robert Luna, Richmond, CA Chief Bisa French,
and Santa Barbara, CA Capt. Marylinda Arroyo • Thursday, February 4: Vaccinations in the Los Angeles
Fire Department and the Israel Police
• Monday, December 14: Interview with Seattle, WA Chief
Adrian Diaz, Vancouver, WA Chief James McElvain, and • Thursday, February 18: Recap of PERF’s webinar about
Portland, OR Chief Chuck Lovell vaccinations
• Tuesday, December 15: Interview with Corpus Christi, • Thursday, March 4: Addressing unanswered questions
TX Chief Mike Markle, Austin, TX Assistant Chief from the vaccine webinar
Joseph Chacon, and Irving, TX Assistant Chief Darren
• Tuesday, March 9: Spring Break in Florida beach cities
Steele
• Monday, March 15: Managing large parties and
• Wednesday, December 16: The role of analysts during
violence in college towns
the pandemic
• Tuesday, March 16: Hate crimes and bias-related
• Thursday, December 17: Interview with Kansas
incidents against Asian-Americans
City, MO Chief Rick Smith, Omaha, NE Chief Todd
Schmaderer, and Sioux City, IA Chief Rex Mueller
6 — PERF Daily COVID Reports

Executive Summary and Key Takeaways:
The Police Response
to the COVID-19 Pandemic
This report summarizes PERF’s findings • Benchmarks for Developing a Law Enforcement
from nearly 120 “Daily COVID-19 Reports” pro- Pandemic Flu Plan (2009)
duced between March 17, 2020 and March 16, 2021,1 • Communication and Public Health Emergencies: A
along with additional research into how police Guide for Law Enforcement (2009)
departments and sheriffs’ offices responded to the
COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-21. • The Role of Law Enforcement in Public Health
The purpose of the report is not primarily his- Emergencies (2006)
torical. Rather, the report is intended to provide law In PERF’s 2007 report, the top recommendation
enforcement agencies with continuing guidance on was to start planning early for such an event. At the
how to manage their response to the COVID-19 time, some agencies already were putting together
pandemic, as well as to other public health emergen- response plans for influenza pandemics, because that
cies in the future. was an emerging threat then. In 2009, this threat was
realized with the H1N1 pandemic.
Background: What Police Already Knew Thus, the role of police in responding to a
When COVID-19 Struck pandemic was not an entirely foreign concept to
law enforcement agencies when the first news of
Over the last 15 years, PERF has produced several COVID-19 began to emerge. However, the COVID-
reports2 about the role of police in responding to 19 pandemic proved to be of a magnitude not seen
public health emergencies, in particular Police Plan- in the United States or globally since the 1918 flu
ning for an Influenza Pandemic: Case Studies and pandemic. By March 2020, COVID-19 had fully
Recommendations from the Field (2007). progressed to community transmission, states
Related PERF reports include: began ordering lockdowns, and international travel
• Law Enforcement Preparedness for Public Health had largely halted. Just 20 months later, more than
Emergencies: An Executive Summary of the 750,000 Americans had died from COVID-19, many
Resources Series (2010) businesses and schools had been shuttered for more
than a year, and nearly all Americans had been nega-
• A Guide to the Occupational Health and Safety for
tively impacted by the pandemic in various ways.
Law Enforcement Executives (2010)
1. PERF Daily COVID-19 Reports. https://www.policeforum.org/covid-19-response

2. Police Executive Research Forum. “Free Online Documents, Police & Public Health.” https://www.policeforum.org/
online-documents-topic
Executive Summary and Key Takeaways: The Police Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic — 7
Maintaining Essential Services, start of the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in
While Avoiding Devastating Outbreaks shortages nationwide. Agencies should consider
Among Officers what PPE they should stockpile, with an aware-
ness that some may have a limited shelf life.
Throughout the pandemic, communities nationwide Having these plans and supplies in place will put
continued to look to their police agencies for guid- agencies in a better position to quickly respond
ance and assistance. Police agencies and sheriffs’ to the situation.
offices worked to respond to these public health
2. Leaders should remain in frequent communi-
needs.
cation with agency personnel.
At the same time, police had to modify their own
During any crisis, particularly those of a
daily work protocols in many ways to protect their
long duration, internal communications are
personnel from the threat of COVID-19 infection.
essential. Police executives should have systems
Because most police officers work out on the streets,
in place, such as intranet email systems and text
in close contact with the public, they were at high
alerts, to communicate directly with their per-
risk of becoming infected.
sonnel. During the pandemic, some chiefs have
Police and sheriffs’ departments proved to
produced brief video messages that they send to
be resilient, changing many of their systems and
all personnel to answer questions and address
operations almost overnight in the early days of
officers’ concerns. Weekly messages from the
the pandemic, and continuing to adapt for a year
chief or sheriff can be extremely helpful in reas-
or more as conditions changed.
suring and informing personnel during chal-
This report summarizes the ways in which police
lenging times.
agencies responded to the pandemic, and is intended
to help agencies plan for potential future public 3. The safety and wellness of officers should be
health crises. a guiding priority in how agencies respond to
pandemic events.
Police agencies cannot help their communi-
Key Takeaways Looking Forward
ties if they don’t take steps to keep their mem-
Based on the information we’ve gathered since March bers safe and well. The COVID-19 pandemic
2020, PERF has identified 15 key takeaways to guide has taken an enormous toll on police officers,
agencies in the future: sheriffs’ deputies, and professional staff of law
1. Keep emergency and continuity of operations enforcement agencies as they faced threats to
plans updated, and make sure you have ade- their physical and mental well-being. Every day
quate supplies of PPE and other equipment. in the field, officers and deputies have risked
Agencies may not have the capacity or potential exposure to COVID-19.
resources to develop detailed plans for every As of December 2021, more than 545 offi-
emergency situation, but having updated plans cers and deputies have lost their lives to COVID-
for your agency’s emergency operations cen- 19 in the line of duty.3
ter and continuity of operations will provide a The possibility of bringing the virus to their
framework that can be adapted to any emerging families added to the mental toll on personnel.
situation. This process should include consider- Agencies should recognize these impacts and
ation of what supplies agencies should maintain. include the physical, mental, and emotional
Face masks and other personal protective equip- well-being of officers and other employees in
ment (PPE) were in significant demand at the
3. Officer Down Memorial Page. “Honoring Officers Killed in 2021.” https://www.odmp.org/search/year?year=2021 “Honoring Officers
Killed in 2020.” https://www.odmp.org/search/year?year=2020
8 — Executive Summary and Key Takeaways: The Police Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
their planning and preparation for future pan- 5. Ensure that communications and IT systems
demic events. In particular, agencies should: are up to date and can be adjusted on short
a. Have plans for adjusting policies and proce- notice.
dures to reduce the spread of illness among Workplaces of every kind came to recognize
personnel. These include such issues as clos- the importance of having a robust IT infrastruc-
ing precinct stations to the public and shift- ture during the pandemic. To allow for social
ing to one-officer patrol cars if possible. distancing, many police agencies allowed some
personnel, such as detectives, crime analysts, and
b. Ensure that existing wellness supports can administrative personnel, to work remotely. But
be adapted to the needs of officers and agencies had to ensure that individuals work-
deputies during pandemic events, such as ing remotely had the necessary equipment and
making sure that peer counseling can be access to department databases, and that secu-
accessed virtually. Assistance also should rity protections guarding sensitive data would be
meet the unique needs of the situation, such equally strong.
as providing care packages to personnel in Having these kinds of technology in place
quarantine. before they are needed greatly eases the transi-
c. Ensure that family members of personnel tion to remote work.
can also access support as needed. For example, when the COVID pandemic
4. Be prepared to change staffing schedules and began, a number of agencies already had backup
other systems immediately. 9-1-1 call centers that had been built to maintain
Given the contagious nature of COVID-19, 9-1-1 services in case of natural disaster or ter-
officers and deputies operating in close con- rorist attack. These backup centers proved useful
tact were at an increased risk for catching and during the pandemic, because agencies were able
spreading the virus. This risks of contagion to provide greater social distancing of employees
increased with the Delta and Omicron variants, who were “spread out” at multiple facilities.
which emerged in 2021.4 Agencies have had to Telephone and online reporting of relatively
balance the importance of social distancing with low-level types of crime by the public also helps
being able to have enough personnel to respond to reduce unnecessary contact between officers
to public safety needs. and the public, while remaining responsive to
Many agencies quickly recognized the their needs. Agencies should ensure they have
importance of being flexible with staffing sched- the technological capability to offer these alter-
ules at the start of the pandemic, in an effort native reporting methods, and should make
to avoid losing officers to sickness. Some agen- them available always, not only during a public
cies built a type of “quarantine” into their shift health crisis, so that community members and
schedules, such as having officers work 7 days of police officers will be familiar with how the sys-
12-hour shifts, followed by 14 days off, to reduce tems work.
the potential for person-to-person contacts. 6. Ensure that jail operations are part of the over-
Some departments split shifts to avoid losing all planning effort.
an entire unit in the event of a COVID-19 out- Jails and lockups require additional plan-
break. For example, agencies had only half of a ning, given the potential for outbreaks among
unit on duty at the same time, or they separated
individuals held at the facilities, as well as among
officers into cohorts, so officers from Cohort A
correctional officers and other personnel. Dur-
would never come into contact with officers in
ing the COVID-19 pandemic, many sheriffs’
Cohort B.
offices and other agencies that operate jails and
4. “COVID Data Tracker; Variant Proportions.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://covid.cdc.gov/
covid-data-tracker/#variant-proportions
lockups actively reduced jail populations and the cuts and began taking the initiative to imple-
number of individuals being booked into jails. ment cost-saving measures in advance. These
This required coordination with courts, judges, leaders found it preferable to maintain some say
and other local police agencies. Jail operations over spending reductions, as opposed to having
during a pandemic should be an essential ele- cuts imposed on them.
ment of planning efforts.
10. Monitor crime trends closely for emerging
7. Plan for adjustments to recruit and in-service issues.
training. In 2020, as states began implementing stay-
At the start of the pandemic, many agencies at-home orders and businesses closed, crime
had to suspend their recruit training, because in- opportunities shifted, which led to changes
person gatherings were restricted. Some shifted in criminal behavior. For example, residential
to virtual learning platforms to various degrees. burglaries declined, because many people were
In-service training was also curtailed, because of working from home and fewer homes were
restrictions on business travel as well as social unoccupied. Meanwhile, commercial burglaries
distancing requirements. Again, some agencies in some cities increased, because businesses were
moved training to virtual platforms for in-service unoccupied. Some agencies reported increases
training, but some trainings required in-person in domestic violence, which they linked to eco-
participation, such as firearms recertifications. nomic strains that COVID-19 was causing in
Recruit and in-service training should not some households, and increased tensions when
stop entirely because of a pandemic. Agencies abusers were spending more hours per day at
should develop the infrastructure and capacity home.
to deliver some training virtually, while also cre- By the summer and fall of 2020, homi-
ating safe work-arounds for in-person training cides, shootings, and aggravated assaults began
when possible. to surge, and many jurisdictions saw historic
8. Be prepared for impacts on recruiting new increases. Courts were forced to essentially shut
officers. down jury trials, because of the risk of COVID
Even as many departments had to cancel spreading among jurors and others in the court-
recruit classes, they also had to suspend many room. And many criminal offenders saw little
types of in-person events that police tradition- reason to plead guilty when the alternative was
ally have used to encourage candidates to seek to demand a jury trial that could not take place
a career in policing. But many agencies cre- right away. At the same time, many jails were
ated virtual alternatives to in-person recruiting actively seeking the early release of inmates, in
activities. In some instances, virtual recruitment order to allow for greater social distancing and
efforts allowed agencies to expand their appli- reduce the spread of COVID.
cant pool and make the hiring process quicker As conditions change rapidly during a pan-
and more efficient. demic, police agencies need to closely track
changes in crime rates in real time, in order to
9. Be prepared for how pandemic events may
formulate responses.
impact police budgets.
The widespread economic impact of the 11. Identify vulnerable populations, and work
COVID-19 pandemic reduced tax revenue as with partners to meet their needs.
businesses shut down or lost sales. Because Vulnerable populations, including elderly
police departments often are the largest line item persons living alone, persons with disabilities,
in a municipality’s budget, it can be difficult or victims of domestic violence and child abuse,
impossible to shield police agencies from budget immigrant populations, and individuals experi-
cuts during an economic crisis. In 2020, many encing homelessness, face greater isolation and
police chiefs anticipated COVID-related budget risks during a pandemic.
During the pandemic, many police agencies agencies to ensure they would be able to remain
directly assisted vulnerable persons – for exam- operational if a large percentage of their officers
ple, by knocking on doors of elderly persons and became infected with COVID-19, or if addi-
asking if they needed help getting groceries or tional resources were needed during demonstra-
prescriptions, or bringing PPE and sanitation tions or surges in violence.
equipment to homeless encampments. Police Partnerships with public health agencies
also have worked with other government agen- also were important, in order to ensure that
cies and nonprofit or private-sector service pro- police remained updated on continuing changes
viders to help individuals find assistance. in health guidance. And police in many locations
provided assistance as public health agencies
12. Clearly communicate to the public how police
began distributing vaccines.
will manage the enforcement of public health
guidelines. 15. Be prepared for the unexpected.
As state and local governments imple- Several months into the COVID-19 pan-
mented public health restrictions to curb the demic, police agencies faced a new crisis in May
spread of COVID-19, it often fell to police agen- 2020 when the killing of George Floyd by a Min-
cies to enforce these guidelines. Recognizing the neapolis police officer and uses of force by police
difficulty of enforcing public health measures in other cities resulted in thousands of demon-
in the face of resistance from substantial num- strations nationwide, many of which ended with
bers of people, most agencies sought to take an civil disturbances and riots. Some cities experi-
approach that emphasized “education first,” to enced nightly demonstrations for months. The
explain the changing rules and encourage com- year 2020 demonstrated that police agencies
pliance with guidelines. In some cases, particu- need to be prepared to address crises on multiple
larly ending large gatherings that violated public fronts.
health guidelines or closing businesses that were
operating illegally, police had enforcement roles.
Backup Plans and Changing Plays
In all cases, it is important to provide the
public with clear explanations of what the rules
On the Fly
are, and what people can expect from the police Police agencies are accustomed to facing new chal-
in the face of repeated noncompliance. lenges and critical incidents on a daily basis. But
the COVID-19 pandemic has been an extreme case,
13. Continue to find ways to engage with the
because of how it disrupted nearly everyone’s lives
community.
for such a long period of time. Police executives cite
In some ways, community engagement
a number of general practices for responding to such
becomes more difficult in a pandemic, because
a crisis:
in-person meetings and events are often can-
celled. However, community engagement is • Maximum flexibility: When the pandemic first
especially important during critical incidents. So hit in February 2020, police chiefs quickly under-
many agencies developed innovative approaches stood the threat it posed to their agencies, and
to reaching the public through virtual meetings, made dozens of major changes overnight that in
social media messaging, and socially distanced normal times would have taken weeks or months
events. to implement. Some of these changes, such as
significant changes in work schedules, likely
14. Ensure that mutual aid agreements and other
would have been challenged by unions, and other
partnerships are in place and can be called
changes, such as discontinuing in-person response
upon when needed.
to calls involving minor crimes, might have gener-
As police agencies faced multiple crises in
ated community opposition.
2020-21, they looked to their mutual aid part-
nerships with neighboring law enforcement
Fortunately, community members and police with them. In-person public events generally were
officers and their labor representatives under- sharply limited during COVID, so police leaders
stood the need for strong responses to a once-in- needed to use other ways of communicating.
a-century crisis, so they generally did not oppose
• Greatness is the ability to pull off a Plan B.
many of these changes.
During periods of rapid change, when leaders
It was important that police chiefs immediately
are creating new protocols or systems for manag-
understood the severity of the COVID threat, and
ing a crisis, it’s helpful to keep in mind that new
realized that they needed to make unprecedented
plans don’t always work out in the way they were
changes without any delay.
intended, so it’s a good idea to have backup plans
Furthermore, the need for changes was not
whenever possible.
a one-time phenomenon at the beginning of the
For example, years ago when the Detroit
pandemic. For many months, as COVID infec-
Police Department created a new communications
tion rates rose and fell and public health guidance
center as part of a new headquarters facility, Chief
changed, police chiefs and sheriffs had to continue
James Craig recommended having a “fallback”
making changes, like a hockey team shifting strat-
communications center in case a terrorist attack
egies and plays on the fly.
disabled their main center. That helped during
• Over-communicating: When police leaders COVID, when a dispatcher was the first member
spoke to PERF about their strategies during the of the department to die of COVID. Communica-
pandemic, many said they “over-communicated” tions workers moved to the fallback center while
about COVID-19 issues, both with their officers the main center was shut down and thoroughly
and with the community. That means they inten- sterilized.5
tionally repeated their messages often, to ensure Police in Lincoln, NE and Cayuga County, NY
that everyone heard and understood the high pri- also had backup 9-1-1 centers, where call-takers
ority of these messages. and dispatchers were split into two teams. Other
Police chiefs used different forms of com- agencies purchased equipment that allowed some
munication – especially social media platforms telecommunicators to work remotely, or trained
and the news media – to increase the likelihood additional employees to handle 9-1-1 calls that
that different people would receive their mes- weren’t actually emergencies.6
sages through media that resonated personally
5. See PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Interviews with Aurora, IL Chief Kristen Ziman and Detroit Chief James Craig.” April 1, 2020.
https://www.policeforum.org/covidapril1
6. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Managing emergency communications centers.” April 2, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/
covidapril2
CHAPTER 1:
How Internal Police Operations
Changed During COVID-19
Initial Responses to the Pandemic early in the pandemic. The Anchorage, AK Police
Department did so in order to have a unified com-
As cases of COVID-19 in the United States began to
mand response for early preparations, and to ensure
spread via community transmission, many gover-
a smooth transition into higher emergency levels as
nors started issuing orders designed to reduce expo-
the pandemic progressed.
sures. For police and sheriffs’ departments, these
In addition to providing a framework to respond
orders generally required social distancing, having
to any crisis, EOCs enable agencies to request needed
employees work remotely where possible, and estab-
supplies and focus resources. The Kirkland, WA
lishing quarantine periods for those who became
Police Department, located at the early epicenter of
infected with or had experienced a potential expo-
sure to COVID-19. COVID-19 in the United States, activated its EOC
Police agencies nationwide needed to quickly to coordinate the acquisition of needed supplies,
adjust their operations to ensure public safety during including personal protective equipment (PPE). In
the pandemic, while protecting their own personnel. neighboring Redmond, WA, the police department
Initial steps focused on activating emergency opera- reported that the local EOC community had been
tion plans and adjusting operations. beneficial in helping agencies obtain supplies when
they were having difficulty finding things like masks
and eye protection.
Activating Emergency Operation Centers
The inter-disciplinary membership of many
Although the COVID-19 pandemic had a magnitude EOCs was particularly beneficial during the pan-
unlike anything the United States had faced since the demic, especially in the early days when there were
1918 flu pandemic, many agencies were able to get many unknowns about the scientific and medi-
a good start in responding by implementing their cal aspects of how the virus was being transmitted,
emergency operations centers (EOC). An EOC is a and which measures might slow its spread. Public
central facility where officials from a number of dif- health agencies participated in many of the EOCs,
ferent agencies can meet to coordinate their response providing timely information about those key issues
to a disaster or declared emergency. of virus transmission. The Wheat Ridge, CO Police
Many agencies activated their EOCs early in the Department received daily updates from the Public
pandemic. For example, the San Francisco Police Health Department through its Emergency Manager.
Department activated its EOC in the second week Similarly, the Winston-Salem, NC Police Depart-
of February.7 Even departments not yet impacted ment communicated with the County Emergency
by COVID-19 activated their EOCs at lower levels Management and Public Health Departments to
7. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Interviews with police executives.” March 19, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidmarch19
Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19 — 13

remain updated on the latest information and infec- of officers due to COVID resulted in high levels of
tion trends within the community to better coordi- absenteeism, resources would increasingly be shifted
nate their response. to the Field Operations Bureau (patrol). Each level
of TPD’s three-tiered COOP was based on sustained
Ensuring Continuity of Operations levels of absenteeism rate across all three patrol shifts
for 48-72 hours. The tiers of response were:
During emergency events, police agencies can also
1. Warning – At this initial phase, all training of
rely upon established Continuity of Operations Plans
officers and special duty assignments across all
(COOPs). COOPs provide guidance to ensure that
bureaus would be cancelled, in order to support
mission-critical functions remain operable during
essential functions.
an emergency event. Many COOPs addressed the
key issue of strategies for minimizing the loss of per- 2. Daily Reassignments – The second phase
sonnel during an influenza event. COVID-19’s high required bureau commanders to be prepared
level of contagion made this particularly important. to reassign personnel to the Field Operations
From the very first days and weeks of the Bureau.
COVID-19 pandemic, police agencies across the 3. Temporary Assignments – At this phase, person-
United States focused on preventing the virus from nel from throughout the department could be
sweeping through their entire staff or through partic- placed on temporary assignment to support the
ular squads or units. Most departments immediately Field Operations Bureau for 14 days or more.
understood the potential for disaster if most or all of
their officers became infected or had to be quaran- When absenteeism rates returned to manageable
tined because they were exposed to an infected per- levels, normal operations would be resumed.
son. Entire police agencies, or critically important Agencies with existing COOP plans updated
units, might need to be closed. the plans to address the specifics of COVID-19. The
To prevent that from happening, departments Milton, GA Police Department created a tiered
quickly changed work schedules to reduce the prob- approach. At the lowest stage, initial precautions
abilities that officers would come into contact with were taken. The next step included limiting non-
other officers. Some agencies changed from 8-hour critical meetings and utilizing technology to meet
to 12-hour shifts, and many created separate cohorts remotely. At the top tier of the updated COOP, the
of officers, with the goal of ensuring that all officers department would focus only on providing critical
in Cohort A, for example, would never have occasion services, such as responding to 911 calls.
to come into contact with officers in Cohort B. The Another consideration for COOPs was the abil-
Duluth, MN Police Department shifted all but a few ity of some personnel to telecommute. When drafting
of its 158 sworn officers to uniformed patrol, work- its COOP, the San Diego, CA Sheriff ’s Department
ing 12-hour shifts for 5 consecutive days, followed created a list of employees who could effectively
by 15 days off, when they were expected to follow work remotely, such as the IT Division and payroll,
stay-at-home orders and other protective measures.8 budgeting and finance, and contracting staff. Some
The 15 days off functioned as a type of quarantine to detectives were also able to work remotely; however,
reduce the spread of COVID-19. the majority of sworn personnel were unable to do
As the threat of COVID-19 increased, an initial so.
step taken by many agencies was to create a COOP
specific to COVID-19, or to review and update their
existing COOPs. The Topeka, KS Police Depart-
ment (TPD) created a tiered COOP. Under this
system, if COVID-19 infections or quarantining
8. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Staffing and scheduling.” April 13, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidapril13
14 — Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19

Continuity of 911 Centers if the need arose.11 The Hamilton County, OH 911
Center also began planning to purchase new equip-
As noted in an early PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, ment if operators needed to work remotely.12
911 Centers were especially vulnerable in the The Dane County, WI Department of Public
COVID-19 crisis: Safety Communications set up three remote call-
“If too many patrol officers become symptomatic or taking stations for employees who were at risk for
infected with the virus and must self-quarantine, COVID-19 and would not have been able to remain
agencies can assign detectives and other former working if they were required to be in the 911 center.
patrol officers to patrol duties. But 911 operators The remote workstations included two laptops and
have many complex, specialized skills that cannot two monitors, with one laptop connected via VPN to
be quickly taught to other employees…. In smaller the county’s network infrastructure, which enabled
911 Centers, the loss of even a handful of telecom- the call-takers to access a Computer-Aided Dispatch
municators can severely impact operations.” 9 (CAD) workstation. Each remote workstation was
connected using FirstNet.
911 center contingency plans focused on deter- The remote call-takers worked regular hours
mining whether call-taker services could be con- with their in-person counterparts and could also act
ducted remotely, and if not, how to staff 911 centers as back-up if a shift needed additional capacity. The
in a way that provided adequate staffing levels but department also strategized about how to ensure that
also allowed for social distancing and other protec- remote workers could set up the remote workstations
tive measures to prevent infections of call-takers. without requiring an IT technician to be on-site, and
The Alexandria, VA Department of Emer- developed a simplified installation guide. Given the
gency and Customer Communications found ways success of the remote workstations, the department
for some of its 911 communications personnel to is planning to add another four remote workstations
work remotely, using VESTA CommandPost kits and to explore the possibility of remote dispatching
connected through FirstNet hotspots. With some in addition to remote call-taking.
employees working remotely, the remaining staff The Northeast Emergency Communications
members at the 911 center were able to maintain Center, which provides 911 services to three coun-
social distancing. The remote work capability also ties in Northeast Missouri, also set up remote work-
allowed personnel who had been exposed to some- stations that could be used remotely. These kits
one with COVID-19 to quarantine, but still work.10 included three laptops. Each laptop was designated
Other jurisdictions quickly prepared to shift to to handle one of three functions: 911 call handling,
remote working if needed. Arlington, VA recog- CAD access, or radio access. When needed, the kits
nized that they might need to move some of their would simply be delivered to an employee’s home
personnel to work remotely if they had a confirmed and could be online relatively quickly.13
case of COVID-19 with exposure to other personnel.
The city prepared 20 consoles that could be activated
covidapril2
10. Urgent Communications. “Virginia 911 center leverages remote capabilities, FirstNet to help address COVID-19 challenges.”
May 15, 2020. https://urgentcomm.com/2020/05/15/virginia-911-center-leverages-remote-capabilities-firstnet-to-help-address-covid-
19-challenges/
11. Rapid SOS. “9-1-1, Where is the Location of your Dispatchers?” https://rapidsos.com/our-latest/9-1-1-where-is-the-
location-of-your-dispatchers/
12. WCPO.com. “First responders, 911 centers in Hamilton County adapting to combat COVID-19.” March 30, 2020.
https://www.wcpo.com/news/coronavirus/first-responders-911-centers-in-hamilton-county-adapting-to-combat-covid-19
13. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. “Responding to a Pandemic: Technology
Considerations for Public Safety Answering Points.” October 23, 2020. https://www.cisa.gov/blog/2020/10/23/
responding-pandemic-technology-considerations-public-safety-answering-points

Working remotely was not an option for every plan.15 The 12-hour shifts reduced the opportunities
911 center, so agencies also considered other ways to for officers to come into contact with other officers
protect their telecommunications personnel 14: during shift changes. As agencies moved to 12-hour
shifts, adjustments were also made to days off, fur-
• In San Francisco, the Emergency Operations
ther reducing COVID risks:
Center was moved into the local convention cen-
ter to allow for more space for 911 personnel. • The Appleton, WI Police Department built a
• Lincoln, NE divided its staff between its primary type of “quarantine period” into their schedules.
and backup communications centers. The department created four work teams, and
each team worked for 7 days on 12-hour shifts,
• The Collier County, FL Sheriff ’s Office isolated and then were off for 14 days.16
20% of their Emergency Communications Center
(ECC) staff to their backup center, so not everyone • The Washington County, MN Sheriff ’s Office had
was concentrated in a single location. shifts work 5 days on, 10 days off, and 3 days “on
call,” for a total of as many as 13 days off patrol.17
• In the event of a staffing shortage, the Cincinnati
ECC trained all support and administrative staff Other agencies also took the approach of having
on how to answer non-emergency calls and to do officers on-call, but not physically working a shift.
CAD entry. This would allow a diminished num- The Park Ridge, IL Police Department created
ber of call-takers to focus solely on emergency a Paid On Call program. Shifts were split into two
calls. platoons. While one shift worked, the other platoon
maintained a “Paid On Call” status. While on call,
personnel were expected to remain in a state of read-
Adjusting Staffing to Reduce COVID-19 iness to work immediately if necessary. During this
Transmission and Ensure Staff Availability time, personnel were also expected to be sheltering
While Continuity of Operations Plans addressed in place at home.18
staffing problems if large numbers of police person- The Hayward, CA Police Department created
nel were to become ill, police agencies also imple- three teams, with each team working 7 days on and
mented numerous strategies for reducing the risk 14 days off. The department had one of the three
of COVID-19 transmission among officers. These teams on standby, ready to be dispatched in the event
included adjustments to work schedules, expanding that the on-duty team staffing dropped below mini-
days off, and using technology to monitor infection mum levels.19
rates.
Personnel Assigned to Specialized Units
Work Schedules
To ensure adequate patrol staffing, many agencies
Many jurisdictions switched to a 12-hour shift reassigned personnel from specialized units to patrol
schedule as the threat of COVID-19 increased within and other areas of need within the agency. In many
their communities. For the Santa Cruz, CA Police agencies, school resource officers (SROs) were reas-
Department, this switch occurred when the depart- signed to other assignments as schools closed and
ment moved to phase two of its emergency response transitioned to remote learning.
covidapril2
15. City of Santa Cruz, Memorandum, Police Department. “Standard Operating Procedure regarding COVID-19.” March 23, 2020.
https://www.policeforum.org/assets/Santa%20Cruz%20Covid19%20SOP.pdf
16. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Wisconsin chiefs discuss their increase in cases.” October 7, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/
covidoct7
18. Ibid.
19. Ibid.

• The Naperville, IL Police Department and the Many agencies tracked the impact of COVID-19
Charleston County, SC Sheriff ’s Office both on staff through data dashboards.
reassigned their SROs to assist with telephone and
• The Chicago Police Department (CPD) used a
online crime reporting services.20 As the pandemic
dashboard that tracked whether the number of
worsened, many departments closed precinct sta-
officers off duty went over a certain percentage.
tions to the public and encouraged or required
The dashboard allowed CPD to track the informa-
community members to report low-level crimes,
tion for individual districts, shifts, or the entire
traffic accidents, and other information via tele-
department.23
phone or online, rather than in person.
• The Seattle Police Department (SPD) also cre-
• As courts closed, the Charleston County, SC Sher-
ated an internal data dashboard to trace personnel
iff ’s Office also reassigned courthouse officers to
exposure to COVID-19. By keeping track of this
assist with phone reporting, as did the Volusia
data, SPD would be alerted if there was a possibil-
County, FL Sheriff ’s Office.21
ity that a whole watch, squad, or precinct might be
For specialized units that needed to remain impacted by COVID-19.24
staffed, agencies took steps to help personnel
In addition to staffing, agencies collected data to
assigned to the units to remain healthy. The Tempe,
monitor availability of equipment and crime levels.
AZ Police Department instituted a new work plan
for some of its specialized units, including the Explo- • The Fairfax County, VA Police Department cre-
sive Ordnance Disposal and Threat Mitigation units. ated a COVID-19 Emergency Bureau. As part of its
Personnel in these units were split 50/50, so that only function, the bureau produced CompStat reports
half of the team worked together at any given time, in on staffing, including the number of personnel
order to prevent exposure to the virus and preserve teleworking, quarantined, or on administrative,
critical staffing within these units.22 injury, or sick leave. The bureau also tracked calls
for service and crime on a daily basis and produced
a weekly analysis of trends. Doing so allowed the
Monitoring of Staffing Levels
bureau to identify any issues of concern, such as
Despite the precautions taken by agencies to reduce an increase in commercial burglaries.25
the transmission of COVID-19, the infectiousness • The Wilmington, DE Police Department also
of COVID-19 made it almost inevitable that some tracked the availability and usage of PPE sup-
personnel would be impacted. Knowing this, many plies, in addition to staffing levels. This helped the
agencies closely tracked their staffing levels, moni- department ensure it maintained adequate sup-
toring the number of officers who had symptoms, plies for officers.26
had tested positive, and/or were unable to work.
20. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Adjusting work schedules and suspending roll calls.” March 18, 2020. https://www.policeforum.
org/covidmarch18
21. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Patrol officers share their experiences.” May 20, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidmay20
22. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Adjusting work schedules and suspending roll calls.” March 18, 2020. https://www.policeforum.
org/covidmarch18
23. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Supporting and managing officers out sick.” April 7, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/
covidapril7
24. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “The pandemic’s impact on data collection, analysis, and metrics.” June 3, 2020.
https://www.policeforum.org/covidjune3
25. Ibid.
26. Ibid.

Adjusting the Police Response • Non-injury minor vehicle crashes that are not
To Requests for Services blocking a roadway and where there are no dis-
turbances between drivers, no driver impairment,
In an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and no vehicles that have to be towed;
many agencies adjusted their response protocols for
both essential and non-essential services. The goal • Lost property (wallet, purse, phone, etc.), exclud-
of these changes was to reduce in-person contacts ing firearms or narcotics;
between first responders and the public, thereby • Identity theft with no physical evidence to collect;
helping to ensure that officers would remain healthy
• Thefts from a publicly accessible space, including
and available for critical functions, while still serving
shoplifting and thefts from yards, construction
the needs of the community.
sites, public storage facilities and detached garages
where the perpetrator is not present, the loss is less
Changes in Essential Services than $5,000, and there is no recoverable evidence
COVID-19 forced many agencies to evaluate the at the scene;
priority level of calls for service. When residents call • Thefts from vehicles, excluding firearms, where
911, they typically expect a police officer or sher- there is no recoverable evidence at the scene;
iff ’s deputy to respond in person. However, during
• Vandalism or damage to property where the per-
COVID-19, in-person contacts could put both first
petrator is not present and the loss is less than
responders and the public in jeopardy. Therefore,
$5,000.
many agencies adjusted their response policy to
stipulate that officers and deputies only responded in The Norfolk, VA Police Department took an
person to high-priority calls. innovative approach to reducing in-person contacts
• The Wauconda, IL Police Department defined between officers and the public for non-emergency
high-priority calls to include the following: calls calls. The department launched an app, called NPD
involving forcible felonies, batteries or domestic Live, through which residents could video chat with
disputes, burglaries where evidence needs to be an officer about the reason for their call. Before the
collected, motor vehicle crashes, violent crimes, call is routed to this option, dispatchers take the ini-
crime against persons, or as otherwise directed by tial call and verify that it is a non-emergency call and
shift supervisors.27 ask whether the citizen would like to continue the
process via video through the app. It is also intended
For calls that did not warrant an in-person as a way to reduce response times.29
response, agencies utilized telephone and online Police departments also took steps to alert the
reporting to ensure that the public would receive a public to these service adjustments, using social
response. media and press releases to explain how best to
For example, the Metropolitan Nashville, TN contact the police during COVID-19. The Fairfax
Police Department issued guidance for officers on County, VA Police Department promoted its online
what calls could be addressed via a telephone report. and telephone reporting systems for non-emergency
The list included28: calls through Facebook and Twitter.30
27. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Limiting in-person police responses.” June 3, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidjune3
28. WMOT.org. “Reacting to coronavirus, MNPD limits officer in-person calls.” March 19, 2020. https://www.wmot.org/post/
reacting-coronavirus-mnpd-limits-officer-person-calls#stream/0
29. WAVY.com. “Norfolk PD starts video chat option for non-emergency crime calls.” Oct. 16, 2020. https://www.wavy.com/news/
local-news/norfolk/norfolk-pd-starts-video-chat-option-for-non-emergency-crime-calls/
30. Fairfax County Police Department. Reporting Eligible Calls for Service. Facebook, March 28, 2020. https://www.facebook.com/
103085949733551/posts/3691879027520874/?d=n

Fairfax County, VA
Police Department
Facebook Message
About Online
Reporting
Other agencies used technology platforms to participation in community meetings, volunteer

keep citizens updated when they call 911. A platform programs, and cadet and reserve officer programs.
called SPIDR31 enabled the Allen, TX Police Depart- Other services, such as registering sex offenders,
ment to inform 911 callers about changes in service. were moved to an online or telephone service.
Individuals who called 911 would receive a text mes-
sage informing them that an officer would call them
Preventing the Spread of COVID-19
to take minor reports over the phone instead of in
person. The department could also send a hyperlink In Jails
to a video message that further explained how the For police and sheriffs’ departments that manage
department had adjusted operations as a result of jails or lockups, the threat of COVID-19 was par-
COVID-19.32 ticularly acute. Jail settings are especially vulnerable
to the rapid transmission of illnesses due to the close
Changes in Non-Essential Services quarters in which individuals are held. To reduce the
spread of COVID-19, jail managers looked to reduce
Members of the public come into contact with police the inmate population and strengthen health and
for many reasons beyond public safety issues. To cleaning procedures within the jails.
keep communities and police personnel safe during
the COVID pandemic, agencies had to look at all
Reducing the Inmate Population
of the services they offer and make changes to non-
essential services. The goal of reducing the inmate population was to
For example, many agencies closed the public limit crowding and increase social distancing prac-
areas of their buildings to the general public and tices within the jail setting. This was accomplished
halted other public services, including fingerprint- by limiting the number of people coming into the jail
ing of community members for background checks, and by granting release to some individuals already
clearances, etc.; document requests; and ride- in the jail. Between March and May 2020, jail popu-
alongs. Agencies also suspended their in-person lations reportedly decreased by approximately 30%.33
31. City of Allen, TX. “Allen Police Department gives first-year review of SPIDRTech software.” February 25, 2021.
https://www.cityofallen.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=3995&ARC=8268
32. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Engaging the community while social distancing.” April 24, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/
covidapril24
33. Washington Post. “Prisons and jails have become a ‘public health threat’ during the pandemic, advocates say.” November 11, 2020.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/coronavirus-outbreaks-prisons/2020/11/11/b8c3a90c-d8d6-11ea-930e-d88518c57dcc_
story.html

Reducing the number of jail bookings required was one of the few known ways to reduce the spread
coordination between police departments and sher- of COVID-19, reducing jail populations was con-
iffs’ offices. The Pinellas County, FL Sheriff ’s Office sidered a necessity. However, the release of inmates
(PCSO) encouraged the use of pre-arrest diversion needed to be carefully balanced with public safety.
programs and Notices to Appear, as opposed to While police executives generally recognized the
arrests by police departments. With this and other need to hold down jail populations, in hindsight a
changes, PCSO reduced its jail population by 1,000 number of them said that too many jail inmates were
inmates in three weeks.34 released in 2020. And too often, inmates were released
Many jurisdictions also discouraged arrests for without controls such as meaningful probation over-
misdemeanor crimes. sight, and without services that otherwise would be
given to released inmates, such as drug treatment and
• With the exception of domestic violence, the
assistance finding employment. Some police chiefs
Multnomah County, OR Sheriff ’s Office used
expressed concern that releasing jail inmates may have
citations in lieu of arrest for all misdemeanors.35
contributed to increases in some crime types.
• The South Burlington, VT Police Department Many jurisdictions used risk assessments to
also allowed citations to be issued instead of arrest, determine who would be released from jail.36
with exceptions for domestic violence-related inci-
• New York City: The Manhattan District Attorney’s
dents, including violations of conditions related to
Office conducted a review of the 2,000 individu-
intimate partner violence and abuse prevention
als held in the Rikers Island jail whose cases were
orders, and any hate-motivated crimes.
tried by their office. Instead of using categories of
• In Dakota County, MN, the Chief Judge of the crime to determine release, individual determina-
First Judicial Court released an order allowing tions were made as to whether someone would be
the Dakota County, MN Sheriff ’s Office to quash released, based on factors such as the threat indi-
misdemeanor warrants issued by the District viduals pose to public safety (including their crim-
Court. Exceptions to this order included warrants inal history and history of warrants), whether they
for domestic related assaults and violations related were incarcerated for parole violations, whether
to orders for protection, domestic abuse no-con- they were serving short sentences, and their risk
tact orders, or harassment restraining orders. of contracting COVID-19. Using this risk assess-
When a warrant was quashed, the Sheriff ’s Office ment approach, the DA’s office reduced the num-
was to set a hearing date and time and provide ber of individuals held in Rikers Island for a case
notice to the person. from the Manhattan DA’s office by 45%. 37
• Chicago: The Cook County, IL State’s Attorney
Releasing Hundreds of Inmates Early Office considered release of inmates who were in
Another method to reduce jail populations was the jail in lieu of posting bail under $1,000, who were
early release of inmates. This required collaboration elderly, who had preexisting medical conditions,
between local police departments, sheriffs’ offices, or who were pregnant. Following these efforts, the
prosecutors, and judges. Because social distancing jail population dropped from 5,600 to 4,020.
34. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Police and sheriffs are working together to level out COVID response.” May 18, 2020.
https://www.policeforum.org/covidmay18
35. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Interviews with Kirkland, WA Chief Cherie Harris.” March 17, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/
covidmarch17
36. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “District attorneys hope some COVID changes will stick.” May 28, 2020.
37. Manhattan DA. “D.A. Vance’s Written Testimony for City Council Committees on Criminal Justice and Justice
System Oversight Hearing on “COVID-19 in City Jails and Juvenile Detention Centers.” https://www.manhattanda.org/
written-testimony-on-covid-19-in-city-jails-and-juvenile-detention-centers/

• Los Angeles: The Los Angeles County District Jails quickly restricted access to their facilities.
Attorney’s Office focused its screening efforts on For example:
whether an inmate posed a danger to others, by
• The Essex County, MA Sheriff ’s Office suspended
looking at the crime committed and their history.
visitations with the exception of attorney visits
Additionally, the sheriff already had a policy to
from March through July 2020. In October 2020,
release individuals with a bail of less than $25,000.
visitation was again suspended due to a COVID-
That limit was increased to $50,000. The jail popu-
19 outbreak, before reopening in November.40
lation dropped from 17,000 to 11,800.
• After a period of suspension, the Cook County,
IL Sheriff ’s Office resumed visitations, but only
Ensuring that Released Inmates
outside in tents.41
Would Have Support Outside of Jail
With jail visitations curtailed, some agencies
In addition to public safety concerns, there were con-
waived fees for phone calls. For example, the Charles-
cerns about whether individuals released would have
ton County, SC Sheriff ’s Office waived phone call
the necessary support once out of jail.
fees in its juvenile detention center. Additionally,
• Some inmates in the jail managed by the Henne- the Sheriff ’s Office continued video visitation in the
pin County, MN Sheriff ’s Office expressed con- detention center, albeit on a more limited basis. All
cern about leaving the jail during the pandemic, of the stations for video visitation were cleaned each
because they did not know where they would hour.
find safe housing. In response, the Sheriff ’s Office For new inmates entering jails, many agencies
allowed some of these individuals to remain in added COVID-19 screening procedures to the intake
the jail, and worked with the county’s housing process.
services to identify safe housing options for other
• The Pinellas County, FL Sheriff ’s Office screened
inmates.38
everyone coming into the jail, and conducted tem-
• The King County, WA Prosecuting Attorney’s perature checks. Once admitted to the jail, individ-
Office worked with a program called Co-LEAD uals were not placed into the general population
to assist individuals leaving the jail system with area until they had quarantined for 14 days in a
the goal of preventing recidivism. Under this separate unit. The Sheriff ’s Office also screened all
program, 16 caseworkers helped individuals find employees.42
housing and address their basic needs.39
• The Hernando County, FL Sheriff ’s Office also
utilized screening. Individuals entering the jail
Health Procedures Within the Jails were asked a series of questions about their travel
While efforts were taken to reduce the overall jail history and contact history with individuals who
population, more stringent health procedures were had traveled outside of Florida and/or had been
needed to protect those who could not be released – exposed to COVID-19. Depending on how they
as well as the correctional officers and staff working answered, inmates might be escorted to isolation
in the jails. in the medical unit.
38. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Interviews with sheriffs about jails and officer wellness.” March 31, 2020. https://www.policeforum.
org/covidmarch31
39. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “How the pandemic has changed prosecutors work.” May 28, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/
covidmay28
40. Danvers, MA Patch. “Visitation To Resume At Middleton Prison On Monday.” Nov. 5, 2020. https://patch.com/massachusetts/
danvers/visitation-resume-middleton-prison-monday
41. WTTW.com. “Containing COVID-19: Jails, Prisons Ripe for Spread.” Nov 12, 2020. https://news.wttw.com/2020/11/12/
containing-covid-19-jails-prisons-ripe-spread
42. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Collaboration between police departments and sheriffs’ offices.” May 18, 2020.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and clean- The Police Role in Ensuring Compliance
ing procedures also were deployed to reduce the With Public Health Orders:
spread of COVID-19 in the jail system. (In the early Educators versus Enforcers
months of the pandemic, it was considered impor-
tant to wipe down surfaces with anti-viral cleaning As state and local governments implemented stay-
supplies. It was only later that public health experts at-home orders, social distancing guidelines, mask
found that using PPE such as masks was far more requirements, business capacity restrictions, and
important in preventing the spread of COVID-19 other public health orders, enforcement of these
than disinfecting desktops, door handles, etc.43) orders almost always fell to police agencies. Many
agencies took a measured approach to enforcing the
• The Milwaukee County, WI Sheriff ’s Office
guidelines by focusing on education, rather than
ensured that all correctional staff had appropri-
strict enforcement policies.
ate PPE when escorting symptomatic/exposed
The goal was to encourage voluntary compli-
inmates or new arrivals to the jail.
ance before taking punitive measures. Police chiefs
• The Palm Beach County, FL Sheriff ’s Office pro- expressed concern that heavy-handed enforcement
vided deputies with biological suits that could be actions could backfire, causing even greater resis-
used in the field or in the jail.44 tance. And police had nowhere near the resources
to implement strict enforcement. Court operations
• The Dane County, WI Sherriff ’s Office used
were severely compromised by COVID, and jails were
robots that emit high-intensity UV to disinfect the
trying to release inmates, not increase admissions. So
jails. This same technology is used in hospitals and
any warnings of strict or widespread enforcement
surgical suites and targets MERS, SARS, and other
actions would have been a hollow threat.
respiratory illnesses.45
When Massachusetts implemented a statewide
Social distancing capabilities inside jails were order requiring face coverings in public, the Cam-
also needed to fight the spread of COVID-19. With bridge, MA Police Department distributed masks
reduced populations, jails were able to make adjust- and educational materials to individuals not wearing
ments that facilitated social distancing. For example, masks, instead of issuing fines.47
the Milwaukee County, WI Sheriff ’s Office reduced The Tucson, AZ Police Department also empha-
its jail population by more than 200 inmates, which sized education over enforcement. In an email to all
allowed the jail to house inmates in single-person members of the department, Chief Chris Magnus
cells. By reducing its jail population, the Jefferson wrote, “Specific questions about the enforcement of
County, CO Sheriff ’s Office was able to devote an [the Governor’s order restricting people from leaving
entire floor to quarantining inmates who may have their homes except for essential activities] should be
had a COVID-19 exposure.46 directed to your chain of command or department
legal advisor, but as with previously issued executive
orders and the mayor’s proclamations, our primary
role is to educate and provide the opportunity for
compliance.”
43. Nature. “COVID-19 rarely spreads through surfaces. So why are we still deep cleaning?” Jan. 29, 2021. https://www.nature.com/
articles/d41586-021-00251-4
44. Palm Beach Post. “Coronovirus in Florida: PBSO buys 4,000 biological suits.” March 10, 2020. https://www.palmbeachpost.com/
news/20200310/coronavirus-in-florida-pbso-buys-4000-biological-suits
45. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Interviews with sheriffs about jails and officer wellness.” March 31, 2020. https://www.policeforum.
org/covidmarch31
46. Ibid.
47. The Boston Globe. “Many police departments are giving out masks instead of fines for scofflaws amid coronavirus.” May 14, 2020.
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/05/14/metro/many-police-departments-passing-fines-mask-scofflaws-amid-coronavirus/

above: Demonstrators protest COVID-19 restrictions in
California.
right: Flyer Distributed by NYPD Personnel.
Police agencies also proactively worked to edu-

cate the public about restrictions and safety measures
in place. When beaches in San Diego reopened in
late April 2020, but only for jogging, walking, or surf-
ing, the San Diego Police Department saturated the instructed officers to disseminate a flyer to all bars,
area with signage letting visitors know what activities gyms, restaurants, fitness centers, and establish-
were allowed. As Chief Dave Nisleit explained: ments registered by the state liquor authority. The
flyer clearly explained the new restrictions, when
“We’ve put out an enormous amount of signage. Our
they would become active, and how long they would
boardwalks are closed, our parking lots are closed,
remain in effect.
and our piers are closed. You can’t go more than 20
Like other agencies, the Metropolitan Police
yards without running into a sign saying the area is
Service of London aimed to educate people as much
closed. On the sand, there are signs everywhere say-
as possible, as opposed to taking enforcement actions
ing you can’t stop, you can’t sit, and you can’t have
against persons who violate public health orders.
chairs or beach towels.” 48
Deputy Commissioner Sir Steven House said that
In May 2020, the Los Angeles Police Depart- the Met’s process was “to engage, explain, educate,
ment reported having multiple protests a week about and, if necessary, to enforce.”
COVID issues. Deputy Police Chief Robert Arcos However, in a January 2021 Daily COVID-19
said that “we also have more people coming from Report, Sir Steven told PERF that the arrival of a
outside the city to agitate for reopening the state… new, more dangerous variant in the UK had changed
The real work at hand is maintaining constant com- things, because it was sharply increasing COVID
munications with different groups.49 transmission rates in London and in the Police
The New York City Police Department also Service.
used signs to educate the public and businesses As a result, he said, “We have seen an increase
about restrictions. When additional restrictions were in our enforcement. We are issuing far more tickets
put into effect in November 2020, the department to people, particularly tickets to organizers of events.
48. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Challenges in California, Florida, and Texas beach towns.” May 6, 2020. https://www.policeforum.
org/covidmay6
49. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Preparing for demonstrations and protests in big cities.” May 14, 2020. https://www.policeforum.
org/covidmay14

The government has authorized us to hand out tick- a dedicated Facebook page for Spanish-speaking
ets… So if you organize a birthday party [at a restau- residents.54
rant], invite 20 people, and they turn up, we’ll issue a
• When the Bellevue, WA Police Department held
10,000-pound ticket to the licensee of the restaurant,
a Town Hall to address bigotry against Asian-
and everybody who’s there will get a ticket for up to
Americans, they arranged to have the meeting
100 pounds.”50
translated into Mandarin.55
Police departments have worked with the news
media and social media to raise awareness of pub- • The Houston Police Department conducted out-
lic health regulations. In addition to communicating reach to undocumented immigrants to provide
his expectations about COVID enforcement to his masks and other information, in response to fears
officers, Chief Magnus of the Tucson Police Depart- from this population about seeking assistance,
ment wrote an op-ed to the Tucson community given their immigration status.56
about how the department was responding to the
Police departments also sought to be a visible
pandemic.51
presence in the community to work as a deterrent
Social media afforded many departments a
to violation of COVID orders, without resorting
direct channel to the community in a time of limited
to enforcement. The Camden County, NJ Police
in-person interaction.
Department, the Riverside, CA Police Depart-
• The Tempe, AZ Police Department participated ment, and the Myrtle Beach, SC Police Department
in public service announcements produced by the were among the agencies that increased patrols dur-
city to explain guidelines, such as restrictions on ing the pandemic, particularly in areas where people
the use of public parks.52 congregate, such as parks and shopping centers.57
• LAPD Chief Michel Moore answered questions Although education was the preferred approach,
about his department’s COVID-19 response agencies sometimes needed to take enforcement
through a Facebook livestream.53 action when education efforts did not succeed. 58
• The Honolulu Police Department found that
Police also recognized the importance of ensur-
warnings became less effective as the quarantine
ing that their messages about COVID guidelines
period stretched on. The department began track-
were accessible to all members of the community.
ing individuals who received multiple warnings
• The Ennis, TX Police Department posted public and enforcing guidelines more strictly for those
service announcements on social distancing in individuals.
both English and Spanish. The city also created
50. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Interview with London Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Sir Steven House.” January 8,
2021. https://www.policeforum.org/covid8jan21
51. The Arizona Daily Star. “Tucson Police Chief Magnus: We are here 24/7 and we need your help protecting all from COVID-19.”
March 29, 2020. https://tucson.com/opinion/local/tucson-police-chief-magnus-we-are-here-and-we-need/article_ad257ed2-95ea-
56ba-8342-44cf6d2bd796.html
52. YouTube. City of Tempe. “Playing the Parks Safe.” April 10, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfevgRuk_Ok
53. LAPD Headquarters. “Coronavirus AMA with LAPD Chief Moore.” March 18, 2020. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/lapdhq/
videos/coronavirus-ama-with-lapd-chief-moore/204153880923211/
54. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Communicating with immigrant communities.” May 1, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/
covidmay1
55. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Hate crimes against Asian-Americans.” May 7, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidmay7
56. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Communicating with immigrant communities.” May 1, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/
covidmay1
57. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “The role of sergeants.” April 15, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covid-19-response.
See also PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Reopening businesses in Georgia and South Carolina.” May 5, 2020.
58. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Honolulu Chief Susan Ballard, Kauai Chief Todd Raybuck, and Miami-Dade Police Director
Freddy Ramirez discuss enforcement of COVID regulations.” Sept. 24, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidsep24

Spring Break Enforcement
In Spring 2021, municipal police agencies in to de-escalate and separate individuals as
popular Spring Break destinations faced large needed.
crowds of students and other partygoers.
• The Miami Beach, FL Police Department
Some jurisdictions implemented curfews in
utilized civilian goodwill ambassadors
an effort to curb crowds, which then had to
to help defuse situations before police
be enforced. Agencies generally continued
intervention became necessary. Although
the practice of working to gain voluntary
compliance through education was
compliance through education, rather than
preferred, police agencies did at times have
enforcement.59
to take action.
• The Clearwater, FL Police Department
conducted outreach to bars and restaurants “We want people to understand our role,
to obtain their help enforcing compliance. which is maintaining peace and order,” said
Officers asked these businesses to ensure Miami Beach Police Chief Rick Clements.
their staff wore masks and limited capacity “At the same time, we have a humanitarian
to allow for greater social distancing. responsibility to try to keep what we think
could be a super-spreader event in check.
• The Daytona Beach, FL Police Department We’ve handed out thousands of masks over
used a drone to monitor the Main Street the last two weeks in an effort to try to curb
area to identify large crowds gathering, the potential for a super-spreader event, as
which was usually an indication of an people go back to wherever they’re from.60
altercation. Police officers could then work
• The Miami-Dade, FL Police Department focused Community Engagement

more on enforcement when COVID-19 cases
The pandemic severely limited the ability of police
spiked in July 2020. At first, the only enforcement
departments and sheriffs’ offices to engage in person
option available was a misdemeanor arrest. The
with their communities. Many community relation-
department worked through the county commis-
ship-building activities had to be halted. At the same
sion to update the civil citation process, so that
time, agencies were being asked to enforce social
civil citations could be issued for any infractions.
distancing guidelines, which had the potential to
This allowed officers to take enforcement action
increase tensions with the public.
without having to resort to arrests.
To stay connected with the community despite
these challenges, police adapted their engagement
strategies to the pandemic.
59. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Spring break in Florida beach cities.” March 9, 2021. https://www.policeforum.org/covid9mar21
60. PERF Critical Issues Report, “Agencies that have vaccinated a high percentage of their employees and spring break in Miami
Beach.” March 25, 2021. https://www.policeforum.org/criticalissues25mar21

Connecting with Vulnerable Communities community, but in a socially distant manner to
ensure safety. These walks allowed the depart-
Despite restrictions on in-person gatherings, agen- ment to remain visible in the community, and also
cies sought to create positive connections with the sought to improve the community’s morale by
communities they serve, with a particular focus on encouraging people to get out of their homes for
vulnerable populations. a change of scenery.
Because of their vulnerability, elderly popula-
tions were a large focus of engagement efforts.61 To maintain connections with the community,
• In collaboration with the local fire department, agencies relied heavily on technology to connect
the West Palm Beach, FL Police Department via virtual platforms. In many instances, the use of
conducted welfare checks at local assisted living technology allowed residents who might not be able
facilities. to attend an in-person meeting to participate in an
online session.63
• Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chi-
cago Police Department had created a list of • The Richmond, CA Police Department and the
vulnerable seniors, which they used to conduct Fairfax County, VA Police Department con-
welfare checks during extreme hot or cold weather tinued community meetings through online
conditions. During the pandemic, the department platforms to answer questions and keep the com-
used this list to check on vulnerable individuals, munity informed.
remind them of public health recommendations, • With schools closed, school resource officers
and offer support. By April 2020, the department (SROs) lost a vital connection with their student
had made 23,000 phone calls and 3,400 in-person community. In response to this, the SROs in the
visits to seniors. Saco, ME Police Department participated in vir-
• The Chatham, MA Police Department coordi- tual meetings where they read books to students.
nated with local agencies to conduct grocery and SROs also helped deliver lunches to children in the
pharmacy runs for elderly residents, to help them free lunch program, and they assisted with outreach
avoid potential exposure to COVID-19. to elderly persons by making phone calls and con-
ducting in-person welfare checks when needed.
Agencies also helped address food insecurity Saco police also created a Community Resource
during the pandemic.62 Hotline number to direct people to resources.
• The Mesa, AZ Police Department partnered with
local ministries and the United Food Bank to help
deliver food to those in need.
• The San Mateo, CA Police Department also
helped facilitate food deliveries by working with
local partners.
Some agencies adjusted their usual commu-

nity outreach efforts to accommodate COVID-19
restrictions.
• The Martinsville, VA Police Department con-
ducted “wellness walks” in neighborhoods Clearwater, FL Lt. Natalia Illich-Hailey reading to
throughout the city to engage in person with the preschoolers as part of the Officer Friendly Book Club
covidapril24.
See also PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Protecting elderly persons and Miami PD heat maps.” April 9, 2020.
62. Ibid.
covidapril24

Saco, ME Police Department
Salisbury, MD Police Reached Out to

Vulnerable Poultry Plant Workers
In the early months of the pandemic, some
parts of the United States had not yet been
impacted, while others had emerged as
COVID “hot spots.” And some of the worst
hot spots were in meatpacking and poultry
production facilities.
Salisbury, MD was one of those locations,
with a COVID growth rate that was the 9th
fastest in the nation in late April 2020, due
largely to the spread of COVID in chicken
processing facilities.64 Salisbury Police
communicate with those vulnerable
Chief Barbara Duncan knew that many
populations and give them guidance.
poultry workers were Haitian and Hispanic
“For police to be seen as a resource,
immigrants, and many were not fluent in
instead as just another part of the government
English, and as a result might not be receiving
to be feared, is going to be a huge win for us,”
information about COVID risks and protective
Chief Duncan said. ”COVID has forced us to
measures.
adopt different ways of thinking about how we
“Fear of the government is tangible in
provide our services. It has underscored the
these two communities,” Chief Duncan
need for us to be out there connecting with
told PERF.65 So the Salisbury Police
and guiding our community members, in the
Department took on that challenge, working
face of, in some cases, overwhelming fear.
with public health agencies and others to
This will change the way we view who we are.”
64. Delmarva.now. “Salisbury metro area among the nation’s fastest-growing hotspots for COVID-19.” April 29, 2020.
https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/2020/04/29/salisbury-metro-area-among-nations-top-hotspots-covid-19/3039284001/
65. “PERF Trending: The ‘Social Distancing Police’ vs. Community Policing.” May 9, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/trendingmay9

The Impact of COVID-19 in College Towns, COVID infections and deaths in the surrounding
And the Police Role community. A New York Times study of 203 coun-
ties where students make up at least 10% of the pop-
At the start of the pandemic, most colleges and uni- ulation found that COVID-related deaths increased
versities suspended in-person learning. However, as faster in those college-rich counties than in the rest
the 2020-2021 school year began, some colleges and of the nation during the fall semester months of Sep-
universities started welcoming students back to cam- tember-December 2020.
pus for in-person classes in the fall of 2020. “Few of the victims were college students, but
As a result, campus police and municipal police rather older people and others living and working in
departments in cities and towns with colleges and the community,” the Times article stated.67
universities had to do their best to protect the health
and safety of their own officers, students, faculty and Colleges and universities implemented health
staff members, as well as the wider community, with guidelines to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the
the threat of COVID-19 still very present. campus community. At some universities, enforce-
As noted in a recent PERF report about relation- ment of these orders was largely left to the school
ships between campus police and municipal police administration, not campus police, because students
agencies in college towns, the COVID-19 pandemic were more concerned about sanctions affecting their
was an example of the tensions that can develop status as students than about any citations they might
between students and the more permanent residents receive from police.
of a city or town.66
• The University of Notre Dame Police Depart-
Because many students come from other places, ment said that “we are not the social distancing
they may not be familiar with the history and tra- and mask police.” Instead, the university relied
ditions of the city or town they have relocated to. upon student and staff ambassadors to encourage
And because most students typically move away compliance. The campus police provided security
after graduation, they may have little or no interest for quarantine locations.68
or commitment to the long-term well-being of the
• The Boston College Police Department had an
city or town.
officer stationed at each quarantine and isolation
COVID cases on campuses have been a major
location 24/7. The department’s community ser-
concern…. Compared to the general populations
vice officers also drove vans to transport sick stu-
of the cities and towns where their campuses are
dents as needed.69
located, students tend to be young and at relatively
low risk for life-threatening illness if they contract Classes were not the only in-person events that
the coronavirus. That can lead to resentment among started with the Fall 2020 semester. Sports events
residents when students hold large parties or other- with limited attendance were also held. Campus and
wise fail to adhere to public health regulations or surrounding municipal police departments were
guidelines. involved in security for these events, just as they
[Furthermore,] it appears that the presence of were under normal operations. In some instances,
a college or university can result in higher rates of however, campus police would have to enforce
66. Police Executive Research Forum. Municipal and Campus Police: Strategies for Working Together During Turbulent Times. Pp. 3, 20.
https://www.policeforum.org/assets/MunicipalCampusPolice.pdf
67. The New York Times. “Young People Have Less Covid-19 Risk, but in College Towns, Deaths Rose Fast.” December 12, 2020.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/12/us/covid-colleges-nursing-homes.html
68. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “University police chiefs discuss school reopening plans.” July 30, 2020. https://www.policeforum.
org/covidjuly30
See also PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Midwest university police chiefs discuss local COVID increases and students return to
campus.” October 19, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidoct19.
69. PERF Daily COVID-10 Report, “University police prepare for the spring semester.” January 6, 2021. https://www.policeforum.org/
covidjan621

public health guidelines. The University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill Police Department had to
eject some patrons at football games who were not
following guidelines after they had received multiple
warnings.70
Campus and local police departments also faced
challenges from students’ behavior off-campus. In
particular, agencies had to contend with student par-
ties that exceeded limits set by local and state gov-
ernments. In March 2021, the Boulder, CO Police
Department responded to a crowd of about 800
students who had gathered off campus. After initial
attempts to disperse the crowd were unsuccessful
and the crowd started turning violent and turning
over cars, the department’s SWAT team responded
and was able to disperse the crowd with minimal Off-campus disturbance in Boulder, CO in March 2021.
SOURCE: @K1DDN TWITTER
force.71
Utilizing Technology high level of security as those using computers and

Like most workplaces across the country, police databases located in police facilities.
agencies quickly moved to adopt a range of technolo- The Bellevue, WA Police Department’s detec-
gies to ensure that work could continue during the tive unit worked remotely. The unit had a skeleton
pandemic. Unlike some professions, policing often crew in the office, while the rest worked from home.
requires direct in-person interactions with the pub- Remote work was not mandated, but was encour-
lic. But technology did enable some police personnel aged as a way to reduce unnecessary exposure to
to work from home, and also provided a viable alter- COVID-19.
native to in-person meetings. In an April 2021 survey of PERF members, 88%
of respondents reported that they had staff work-
ing remotely at some point during the pandemic.72
Enabling Work-from-Home Capabilities
Of the agencies reporting that they had employees
As a way to reduce contact within police facilities, working remotely,
many agencies quickly began to identify which • 96% said the remote workers included profes-
employees could potentially telework. Selected sional staff members;
administrative and investigative staff members were
able to perform their duties remotely. • 46% said that some command staff members
For those employees able to work remotely, worked remotely;
there was a need to ensure that remote work could • 46% said that some detectives worked remotely;
occur smoothly and securely. Many types of police and
records and communications are highly confidential,
so police technology providers had to ensure that • 3% said that some emergency communications
employees working remotely would have the same center personnel worked remotely.
70. Ibid.
71. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Managing large parties and violence in college towns.” March 15, 2021. https://www.policeforum.
org/covid15mar21
72. PERF Daily Critical Issues Report, “Survey on Pandemic-Related Staffing and Technology Changes.” April 13, 2021.
https://www.policeforum.org/criticalissues13apr21

At the time of the survey (March-April 2021), Police Use of Drones
56% of the respondents had brought all of their staff For COVID-Related Purposes
back into the office.
Approximately 14% of responding agencies In Chula Vista, CA, police were concerned that
expected to permanently have some employees work- persons experiencing homelessness were especially
ing a hybrid schedule after the pandemic was over, susceptible to COVID. Police partnered with public
health and other service agencies to offer a range of
and 20% were considering it; 66% said they did not
assistance, but many homeless persons were camping
expect to have hybrid schedules after the pandemic.
in hard-to-reach urban canyons, rather than shelters
that were seen as possible hot spots for COVID.
Remote Conferencing Police used drones to find the locations of camps
and homeless persons, and used speakers on the
Even police personnel who did not shift to remote
drones to tell individuals about the assistance that
work utilized video and telephone conferencing as a
was available, and where and when help could be
means to continue vital meetings while maximizing
received.
social distancing practices. The Calgary, AB Police
In Daytona Beach, FL and Elizabeth, NJ, police
Service began using video conferencing during the
used drones to fly over parks and other areas and
pandemic to generally communicate with officers.
announce messages about the parks being closed due
The agency held weekly live streams that featured
to COVID. “You can hear the loudspeaker drones
various agency leaders and allowed officers to send
clearly from about 200 feet,” said Daytona Beach
in questions and comments. For example, in one live
Sgt. Tim Ehrenkaufer. “Most people comply; I’d say
stream, the chief spoke with the agency’s nurse and
we have a 95% success rate,” said Elizabeth Deputy
psychologist about the COVID-19 pandemic.73 Police Chief Giacomo Sacca.76
Other agencies also used remote conferencing
capabilities to hold CompStat meetings, including
the New York City Police Department (NYPD), Impacts of COVID-19 on Training
which invented CompStat. The Fayetteville, NC Both recruit and in-service training were sharply
Police Department also held CompStat virtually curtailed by COVID-19 in many locations. Restric-
on Zoom, and focused on issues such as tracking tions on travel and on large in-person gatherings
COVID-19-related calls for service. That allowed forced agencies to cancel or reduce the size of train-
the department to identify which crime trends were ing sessions. But because training is a vital part of
related to COVID-19 and which shifts experienced a policing, many agencies worked hard to find ways of
higher volume of these calls.74 continuing training or restoring it as soon as possible
Remote conferencing platforms also helped during the pandemic.
advance investigations. To continue investigations
during the pandemic, agencies utilized video con-
Recruit Training
ferencing to conduct interviews. For example, the
Hampton, VA Police Department’s homicide inves- Every year, a certain number of police officers retire
tigators used Zoom to obtain witness statements. or resign, and in 2020, retirement and resignation
Detectives said that conducting these interviews vir- rates in police agencies increased sharply compared
tually made it easier to connect with witnesses.75 to 2019, according to a PERF survey (see page 32).
73. PERF Daily Critical Issues Report, “Interviews with Canadian officials.” April 8, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidapril8
74. PERF Daily Critical Issues Report, “The pandemic’s impact on data collection, analysis, and metrics.” June 3, 2020.
75. PERF Daily Critical Issues Report, “How COVID-19 has impacted homicide investigations.” May 21, 2020.
76. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Using drones for COVID-related purposes.” June 5, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/
covidjune5

Because police agencies must recruit, train, and hire we usually teach in the classroom to the best of our
officers every year just to keep up with retirements ability.” 81
and resignations, any delays in recruit training can The Macon County, IL Law Enforcement
have a significant impact on police operations. Training Center (MCLETC) also switched to online
The COVID-19 pandemic created significant training, a process that took approximately a week.
challenges for police recruiting. MCLETC also developed protocols that allowed
them to bring some recruits back to campus to
• For example, the Washington State Police Train-
complete in-person training. For example, recruits
ing Commission, which trains all recruits in the
needed to complete 10 hours of firearms training
state, closed its campus for a 30-day period in
in person. Recruits received COVID tests and were
March 2020, before gradually bringing back some
housed in individual rooms. Classroom sizes were
recruits and adopting virtual learning platforms.77 limited to 10 people. For hands-on training, such
• During the beginning of the pandemic, the NYPD as defensive tactics, they were paired with the same
graduated a recruit class early and suspended the person for the duration of their stay at the academy.82
next recruit class. New classes were not held until
November 2020.78 In-Service Training
• The Metropolitan Washington, DC Police In-service training was also impacted by COVID-19.
Department was able to continue its training
by separating its eight recruit classes into small • At the start of the pandemic, the Minneapolis
groups at different locations, to keep them isolated Police Department suspended most in-service
from each other.79 training for two months, and deadlines for state
minimum training requirements were delayed to
Other agencies moved to online training. The January 2021. Mandatory training on electronic
Camden County, NJ Police Department switched control weapons (ECWs) and qualifying courses
to a virtual format with assistance from the local for rifles continued, with a limited number of
community college. Aspects of the training that had officers in each class. All nonmandatory training
to be held in person, such as defensive tactics and was canceled until July 2020, and training-related
other physical training, were put on hold.80 travel was prohibited unless it involved mandatory
“We felt that we could accomplish [the transition certification training.83
to virtual learning] without any loss in the quality of • The Chicago Police Department promoted its
the training, and we were very successful,” said Capt. class of sergeants and lieutenants early when the
Kevin Lutz of the Camden County Police. “Our local academy closed only a week into their six-week
community college helped us utilize the platform training. The department, however, continued to
they use for their online learning. It’s not the same provide training virtually to the newly promoted
as in-person training, but we delivered everything sergeants and lieutenants. For example, the newly
77. The Seattle Times. “Police academy’s closure because of coronavirus outbreak delays efforts to train new officers.” March 17, 2020.
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/police-academys-closure-because-of-coronavirus-outbreak-delays-efforts-to-train-
new-officers/
78. Fox 5 New York. “NYPD to welcome 900 new recruits in first class since pandemic.” October 23, 2020. https://www.fox5ny.com/
news/nypd-to-welcome-900-new-recruits-in-first-class-since-pandemic
79. PERF Daily Critical Issues Report, “Interviews with police executives.” March 19, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidmarch19
80. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Changes to training programs.” May 27, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidmay27
81. Ibid.
82. Ibid.
83. Minneapolis Star Tribune. “With human contact a no-no, Minneapolis police are getting creative with officer training.”
May 25, 2020. https://www.startribune.com/with-human-contact-a-no-no-mpls-police-are-getting-creative-with-officer-
training/570752172/?refresh=true

promoted sergeants and lieutenants received Blue Average Hiring, Resignation, and Retirement
Courage training via Zoom.84 Rate per 100 Officers, April 2019-March 2020
• The Burlington, NC Police Department was able and April 2020-March 2021
to complete its state-mandated trainings through
10.00
an online training portal run by the state. How-
9.00 8.67
ever, the agency’s supplemental training on active 8.21
shooters, driving, ICAT de-escalation, reality- 8.00
based training, and range practice all had to be 7.00
suspended because they required close contact 6.00
with others. Remedial training continued in small 4.91
5.00
groups of no more than three individuals.85 4.15 4.14
4.00
“We try to do training outside at an offsite facil- 3.00
2.85
ity, with instructors using masks and officers using
2.00
PPE for any type of reality-based scenario where
1.00
they have to go hands-on to show proficiency,” said
Burlington Lieutenant Shelly Katkowski. “There are 0.00
April 2019- April 2020- April 2019- April 2020- April 2019- April 2020-
some things that can’t be taught online and have to March 2020 March 2021 March 2020 March 2021 March 2020 March 2021
be done physically, and it’s important to teach these Hiring Rate Resignation Rate Retirement Rate
skills, because not having them would create greater PERF Daily Critical Issues Report, “Survey on police workforce
risks for the officers and the public.” 86 trends.”
Impact on Recruiting and Hiring

Even before the onset of COVID-19, many police and March 31, 2020, and during the same 12-month
agencies were struggling to recruit enough quali- period from 2020 to 2021.
fied candidates to keep pace with resignations and Overall, respondents reported that hiring rates
retirements of officers. This situation was made even decreased by 5%, resignation rates increased by
more challenging by the pandemic and other chal- 18%, and retirement rates increased by 45%. PERF
lenges faced by police agencies in 2020, including the asked survey respondents to comment on their staff-
hundreds of demonstrations and protests following ing issues, and many said they were struggling to
the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and other attract applicants.
controversial uses of force by police. All of these factors highlight the importance of
In a June 2021 survey, PERF assessed the impact recruiting.
of these factors on police hiring, resignations, and In response to a different PERF questionnaire
retirements.87 Specifically, the PERF survey asked conducted in May 2020, in the early months of the
member agencies to provide the number of officers pandemic, 75% of respondents reported that they
they hired, and the numbers of officers who resigned had been forced to make changes to their recruiting
or retired from their agencies, between April 1, 2019 and hiring practices at the onset of the pandemic.88
84. WBEZ.org. “Could Self-Care And Breathing Techniques Help Veteran Chicago Police Officers Reform The Department?” May 13,
2020. https://www.wbez.org/stories/could-self-care-and-breathing-techniques-help-veteran-chicago-police-officers-reform-the-
department/6a85b55f-9778-4930-86a9-9aa9b9d9f02f
85. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Changes to training programs.” May 27, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidmay27
86. Ibid.
87. PERF Daily Critical Issues Report, “Survey on police workforce trends.” June 11, 2021. https://www.policeforum.org/
workforcesurveyjune2021
88. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “The impact of COVID-19 on police recruitment and hiring practices.” June 12, 2020.

Due to state and local guidelines, some agencies had Effective Internal Communication
to cancel or postpone recruiting events – particularly
In the spring of 2020, as COVID-19 cases rapidly
those that required traveling to colleges, job fairs, and
spread across the United States, there was a great
other events. Any recruiting events that police agen-
deal of information being shared about how to
cies could continue hosting had to allow for social
reduce the risks of being exposed to the virus. Some
distancing, resulting in much smaller, scaled-down
of the information was contradictory, and informa-
events. Budget cuts and the closures of police acad-
tion changed over time.
emies also led many agencies to completely halt their
For example, in the first months of the pandemic,
recruiting efforts, because there was little reason to
it was believed that the coronavirus could survive on
recruit candidates if they could not start training to
surfaces, such as desks, door handles, telephones,
become new officers.
automobiles, etc., and could easily be spread by peo-
Despite the challenges, many agencies adapted
ple touching these surfaces. So a great deal of effort
to the pandemic by utilizing technology and imple-
was expended on disinfecting these surfaces. Later, it
menting safety precautions. Candidate interviews
became clear that COVID-19 was not easily spread
were held virtually, and recruiting was conducted
in this way. Other information, such as the impor-
online through social media and virtual recruiting
tance of wearing masks to prevent the spread of the
events. Aspects of the process that had to be held
coronavirus, proved to be correct over the long term.
in person, such as the physical fitness exam, were
Because police officers and sheriffs’ deputies
adjusted to protect the health of all involved. Written
are frontline responders who had to continue being
exams were held in larger spaces or moved online.
out among the public throughout the pandemic, it
Polygraph examinations conducted as part of
was critically important for police chiefs and other
recruiting programs were especially challenging.
department leaders to be able to provide accurate
Many agencies contract with outside organizations
and timely data to officers and deputies, especially
to conduct polygraph exams, many of which sus-
during the early months when much was unknown.
pended their operations during COVID-19. Some
Regular communications between agency lead-
police agencies moved the polygraph exam to the
ers and officers were essential to keep the entire
end of the process or worked to establish a procedure
agency informed, to ensure that officers understood
that was compliant with COVID-19 guidelines.
how department leaders expected them to perform
The Metropolitan Washington, DC Police
their work, and to address the concerns of officers
Department completely transitioned its in-person
and deputies.
screening process to a virtual format. One of the chal-
Agency leaders used a variety of methods to
lenges was how to maintain a streamlined process,
communicate with their members:
because their in-person process typically involved
multiple steps, including background screening, a • Miami Police Department: Chief Jorge Colina
written exam, and a physical fitness test, that could used video messages to communicate. In one
be completed in one session. Despite having to reor- update, Chief Colina reassured his department
ganize the process, the department still saw a large that “it is completely normal to be a little stressed
number of applicants.89 out” and that “we’re going to do like we always do,
which is take care of each other and get through
this. It is all going to be okay.” 90
89. PERF Daily Critical Issues Report, “Recruiting in an era of COVID and police reforms.” September 2, 2020.
https://www.policeforum.org/criticalissuessep2
90. YouTube: “Message from Chief Jorge Colina.” March 17, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeCiuB0kx5E&feature=youtu.be

• Tucson, AZ Police Department: Chief Chris sick leave, COVID-19 positive rates within the
Magnus sent almost daily emails to every member department, and operational plans.
of the department. These emails covered a range of
• The Metropolitan Police Service of London uses
issues related to COVID-19, including PPE avail-
an intranet site to provide updates as new scien-
ability, potential budget impacts, leave options,
tific information is released, as well as any changes
and how to engage with the community.
in practice and procedures.93
• Middletown Township, PA Police Department:
Chief Joe Bartorilla personally contacted each of
his officers who were out sick with COVID-19 on
Impact of COVID-19 on Police Budgets
a daily basis. The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a worldwide
economic recession in the spring and summer of
First-line supervisors always play an important 2020, as businesses closed or struggled to stay afloat
role in the chain of communication in police agen-
in the face of slower economic activity.
cies, and that has been especially true throughout
The COVID-19 recession immediately raised
the pandemic. Sergeants and other first-line super-
concerns about municipal budgets, especially in cit-
visors ensured that messages from agency leaders
ies where a high percentage of tax revenue comes
were disseminated to everyone in the field, and they
from sales taxes, rather than property taxes or other
played a large role in reinforcing those messages. For
revenue sources.
example, sergeants helped ensure that officers and
Because police agencies are typically the largest
deputies followed agency guidance in the field, such
single item in a jurisdiction’s budget, it is difficult for
as maintaining social distance while on duty, and the
municipal leaders to entirely protect police agen-
difficult, sensitive task of encouraging community
cies when tax revenues decline. And the budgetary
members to comply with public health mandates.
situation for police agencies grew even worse in May
“The chief sends the department updates sev-
eral times a week,” said Tucson Police Sergeant Alon 2020, when the killing of George Floyd by a Minne-
Hackett. “It’s the job of the first-line supervisors to apolis police officer prompted widespread calls for
be on top of it, understand it, and explain it to the police reforms, including demands that police agen-
officers. The supervisor’s job is to make sure officers cies be “defunded.”
understand the chief ’s message, and that they remain In April 2020, the U.S. Conference of Mayors
safe.” 91 (USCM) released findings from a survey of 2,400
Police also used their intranet sites, acces- cities. Of those surveyed, 88% of cities expected a
sible only to members of the agency, to consolidate revenue shortfall due to COVID-19, with 52% pre-
COVID-19 information in a single place. dicting that needed budget cuts would impact police
and public safety.94
• The Vancouver, BC Police Department used its A PERF questionnaire in July 2020 had simi-
intranet to post videos from the chief and deputy lar findings, with 48% of respondents saying that
chief on a variety of topics. The site is accessible to
their agency’s budget has already been decreased or
officers when they are on- and off-duty.92
they expected it to be decreased in the current and
• The NYPD uses its intranet to consolidate infor- upcoming fiscal years. More than half of those agen-
mation on the latest COVID-19 public health and cies seeing or anticipating a decrease in their budget
medical guidelines, the number of personnel on expected that reduction to be between 5% and 10%.
91. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “The role of sergeants.” April 15, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidapril15
92. Ibid.
93. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Interviews with London Met Deputy Commissioner Stephen House and PSNI Chief Constable
Simon Byrne.” April 6, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidapril6
94. U.S. Conference of Mayors. “Cities Report Pandemic Creating Painful Budget Shortfalls, May Force Furloughs and Layoffs.”
April 14, 2020. https://www.usmayors.org/2020/04/14/cities-report-pandemic-creating-painful-budget-shortfalls-may-force-furloughs-
and-layoffs/

For the current/upcoming fiscal year, has your How large do you anticipate the
agency’s budget been, or do you anticipate it will be, budget reduction to be?
increased or decreased?
70%
8% 60%
17%
Increased 50%
27% Decreased
40%
Unchanged
30%
Don’t Know
48%
20%
10%
0%
< 5% 5-10% 10-15% >15%
PERF Survey, “How COVID-19 and Defunding are Impacting Police Budgets” 95
Police agencies began preparing for budget cuts the police learned from the experience was not to cut
early in the pandemic.96 community engagement activities, because the trust
between an agency and the public is especially vital
• The Dakota County, MN Sheriff ’s Office con-
during difficult times.97
sidered video conferencing for court hearings as
“One mistake we made back then was to quit
a more efficient alternative to in-person hearings.
doing community engagements when we were hit
This saves money and time, as staff do not have to
really hard with staffing and budget shortfalls,” said
transport individuals to court for a short hearing.
Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones. “We said we just
• The Marathon County, WI Sheriff ’s Office stud- didn’t have the time or resources to go to community
ied electronic monitoring as a way to reduce the meetings or engage in community projects. But the
population in the jail and save costs. community members responded, ‘We want to help.
Let us help.’ We realized that tough times are when
For most agencies, 2020 was not the first time
we need them the most. We made a mistake in pull-
they had to implement significant budget cuts. Fol-
ing up the drawbridge to the community, and it took
lowing the 2008 economic crisis, the Stockton, CA
us a while to gain their trust again.” 98
Police Department had to cut a quarter of its offi-
cers after the city filed for bankruptcy. One lesson
95. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “How COVID-19 and defunding are impacting police budgets.” August 3, 2020.
https://www.policeforum.org/covidaugust3
See also PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Budget challenges in police departments and sheriffs’ offices.” April 27, 2020.
96. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Budget challenges in police departments and sheriffs’ offices.” April 27, 2020.
97. Ibid.
98. Ibid.

CHAPTER 2:
Officer Safety and Wellness
During COVID-19
In normal times, the safety and wellness In addition to closing police buildings to the
of police officers and sheriffs’ deputies are a para- public, some agencies restricted the movement of
mount concern for any agency. During the pan- their own personnel in certain areas of the building.
demic, this concern became even more important, • For the Long Beach, CA Police Department, this
but also more difficult to manage. involved staggering the start time of squads on the
As COVID-19 continued to spread through- three patrol shifts by 30 minutes, to help ensure
out communities nationwide, the severity of the that everyone could properly distance in locker
illness and the level of contagiousness highlighted rooms and the rest of the facility.100
the importance of protecting all personnel. As men-
tioned previously, a first step many agencies took was • The San Jose, CA Police Department staggered
to restructure their patrol schedules, with a focus on entry into police facilities for its Bureau of Investi-
creating separation in the ranks to isolate any poten- gations. Half of the units came in at one time, with
tial outbreaks and to build in quarantine periods the other half coming in later in the day.101
with off days. There were many other steps that agen- • In the Green Bay, WI Police Department, per-
cies took to help protect their personnel. sonnel were assigned to work on one of three
floors, and were not allowed to go to a different
Social Distancing On-Duty floor except for emergencies.102
Police agencies worked to ensure that personnel • The Janesville, WI Police Department also sepa-
could maintain social distance while on patrol. Many rated personnel by floors, and created substations
agencies moved their roll calls outside or held them and work groups, some of which met outside of
online. The Green Bay, WI Police Department sus- the department. For example, initially some sub-
pended roll calls and had officers report directly to stations were created at middle schools, which
their squad calls.99 were vacant after schools closed, and some groups
worked from home.103
covidoct7
covidoct7
103. Ibid.
36 — Chapter 2: Officer Safety and Wellness During COVID-19

Shifting to 1-Person Squad Cars to Prevent Spread of COVID
Agencies with 2-person squad cars considered John Mueller. “We brought them to the table
whether to shift to 1-person cars to minimize and worked through it together. They like
the potential for spreading the virus. two-officer cars for safety reasons, especially
This change was not necessarily made in areas with more violent crime. So we told
lightly, because 2-person cars help to ensure them that we would continue to sending two
that officers always have back-up when they officers, but in two different cars. If they need
respond to violent crime calls. However, backup, we use four one-officer cars. They
with the risk of COVID-19, some agencies, were given very strict instructions not to leave
including the Yonkers, NY Police Department each other. After we talked about it, the unions
and the Philadelphia Police Department, did thought it made sense.”104
shift to 1-person cars. In the Baltimore Police Department,
“Both of our unions – the supervisory 2-person cars were used when absolutely
officers’ union and the Police Benevolent needed. When there were two people in the
Association – were very helpful in making this car, both officers were required to wear masks
change,” said Yonkers Police Commissioner and PPE.105
Implementing Safety Protocols Police Department checked temperatures as indi-

viduals went into briefings, all of which took place
Beyond staffing changes and social distancing, agen-
outside. Officers were also required to check in with
cies took additional steps to ensure a safe working
their supervisors twice a day to report if they were
environment.
experiencing any signs or symptoms of illness.106 The
San Diego Police Department also implemented
Health Screenings department-wide temperature checks.107
At the Miami Police Department, officers were
To detect symptomatic COVID-19 cases as early as
required to be screened as they came into work. If
possible, many agencies implemented temperature
they were deemed healthy, they were given a wrist-
checks. Before reporting to work, officers and depu-
band indicating they had been screened. The color
ties were required to have their temperature taken
of the bands being distributed changed each day, so
to ensure they were not sick. While this measure
that fellow officers and members of the public would
was ineffective in identifying asymptomatic carriers
be reassured they were interacting with an officer
of COVID-19, it was still an important component
who had been screened that day.108
of many agencies’ safety plans. The San Jose, CA
104. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Updates from Yonkers, NY; Los Angeles; and Northern Italy.” May 15, 2020.
covidapril7
107. The San Diego Union Tribune. “Policing during COVID-19: Officers face new threat in the line of duty.” May 26, 2020.
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/public-safety/story/2020-05-26/policing-during-covid-19-officers-new-threat-
in-the-line-of-duty
108. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Interviews with police executives and officer wellness resources.” March 23, 2020.
https://www.policeforum.org/covidmarch23
Chapter 2: Officer Safety and Wellness During COVID-19 — 37

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that the public expected officers to wear masks.
Officers in some cities also were becoming aware
The scarcity of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) of how many of their colleagues tested positive for
was a major focus early in the pandemic, and guid- the coronavirus, which resulted in greater willing-
ance regarding PPE changed frequently. The situa- ness to use masks.
tion varied from state to state, and from city to city,
depending in part on whether agencies had adequate • Some departments were getting help from local
stockpiles of N95 face masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, businesses, local police foundations, and their
and other supplies. unions in acquiring supplies of PPE. And police
As COVID began to spread across the United departments with plenty of PPE were sharing it
States, an early report by PERF revealed how police with other agencies. For example, after the Bos-
officers and the public were gradually becoming ton Police Department received a large shipment
aware of the importance of PPE: of surgical masks to supplement its supply of N95
masks, the department donated some of the surgi-
• There was some variation in whether agencies at cal masks to smaller, neighboring agencies.109
that time required officers to wear masks when-
ever they were out in public. But many chiefs said
Safety Protocols Were Similar Around the World

Police agencies around the world had • I decreased the number of seats in the mess
remarkably similar COVID protocols. For by 50%, and people are now eating two
example, Italy’s Carabinieri Colonel Pietro meters apart. When they finish eating, they
Carrozza, who commands the Verona region, have to wipe down the tables.
the part of Italy that was hardest hit by COVID,
• I separated shifts, so the morning shift was
told PERF that his agency kept infections
not meeting with the afternoon shift, and
down with very strict rules about sanitation
the afternoon shift was not meeting with the
procedures.
evening shift.
“I gave the orders, then I was out checking
that the orders were applied night and day,” • We patrol in couples, so there are two
Colonel Carrozza said. patrolmen or patrolwomen per car. I made
• I checked that every single station had those couples fixed, so they are not rotating.
glass panels to protect the carabinieri from • I stopped every kind of training.
infection by citizens coming into the station
• I have the entire barracks sanitized every
to report a crime.
two weeks.
• I closed our waiting rooms, because it’s
a place where the virus can spread. Now Even though Italy experienced an early,
people wait two meters apart outside and severe outbreak of COVID, Colonel Carrozza
come inside one at a time. said that as of April 30, 2020, only 15 of his
1,000 officers had tested positive, and he had
• I shut down the elevator, because it’s a place no fatalities in his department.
where people can easily spread the virus.
109. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Police use of masks.” April 14, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidapril14

Cleaning Protocols Screening Calls for Service
Enhanced cleaning protocols were another key fac-
To Collect Health Information
tor in many agencies’ early plans for keeping their In the early weeks and months of the pandemic, when
employees safe. This element of COVID-19 public COVID-19 infection rates were still relatively low in
health guidance became less important over time, most cities, some police agencies sought information
as evidence mounted that few cases of COVID-19 about the location of active COVID-19 cases within
transmission were the result of touching surfaces their jurisdiction. Doing so allowed officers and dep-
that a COVID-infected person had touched. But in uties to take greater precautions when responding to
the early days of the pandemic, regular cleaning of a location or address with known COVID-19 cases.
police buildings, vehicles, uniforms, and equipment To obtain this information, agencies added screen-
provided reassurance to officers and deputies. ing questions to their call-taker procedures, asking
For example, in March 2020 the Santa Cruz, CA whether anyone at the caller’s address was known or
Police Department disseminated detailed steps for believed to be COVID-positive.
employees on decontamination procedures at the By adding screening questions to call-taker pro-
beginning and end of each shift: tocols, first responders were given advance warning
if they were about to come in contact with someone
• All employees must wash their hands or use hand
who had been exposed to COVID-19, so the officers
sanitizer upon entering the building.
could be especially careful about using PPE. Agen-
• Thermometers are stationed near the back door cies also could look back at dispatch records to see
and Investigations. Employees are asked to volun- whether officers had recently responded to locations
tarily take their temperature to determine if they with COVID-positive persons, so they could con-
have a fever. sider quarantining the officers.
• At the end of their shift, officers shall wipe down To screen callers for this information, com-
their duty gear and boots with a sanitizing product. munications personnel from the Tampa, FL Police
Department asked callers three questions:
• Consider the shift you just worked and assess
whether you need to send your uniform to the 1. Have you or anyone in your household come in
cleaners. The department will increase the laundry contact with someone who tested positive for the
cycle if uniforms need more frequent cleaning. Do Coronavirus in the last 30 days?
not wash uniforms at home. 2. Have you had a fever or cough in the last 3 days?
• If an officer is going to take their firearm or radio 3. Have you traveled out of the country within the
home, they shall wipe it down with disinfectant last 30 days?
before taking it home.110
If a caller answered yes to any of the questions,
that information would be flagged in the call notes.111
The Arkansas Division of Emergency Man-
agement launched a campaign titled “Take Control,
Let Us Know,” encouraging people statewide to sign
up for Smart 911. Smart 911 is a service that allows
people to provide their medical information to
111. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Interview with Kirkland, WA Chief Cherie Harris.” March 17, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/
covidmarch17

first responder agencies, in order to help first
responders to provide better service to them.112
In addition to screening calls as they came
in, some agencies obtained data about the loca-
tion of persons with COVID-19 from their
local public health departments. Access to this
information was blocked in some jurisdictions,
however, because of privacy concerns.
The Fairfax County, VA Police Depart-
ment had access to a heat map of addresses that
showed COVID-19 cases. The data included
location, but not the name or personal infor-
mation of individuals involved. This informa-
tion allowed the department to see whether
there was a confirmed COVID-19 case at a call
location officers responded to.113 Miami, FL COVID-19 Heat Map116
The Miami Police Department also
used heat maps to track COVID-19 cases in
• When such notification is required by law;
the city.114 The public health department provided
updates on a daily basis on locations in the city where • To notify a public health authority in order to pre-
someone had tested positive. This data also did not vent or control spread of disease;
include personal information. • When first responders may be at risk of infection;
Some agencies faced HIPAA concerns115 when
trying to obtain data about COVID-19 in their juris- • When the disclosure of PHI to first responders is
diction. The U.S. Department of Health and Human necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and immi-
Services (HHS) released guidance about disclosing nent threat to the health and safety of a person or
COVID-19 to law enforcement agencies. Under this the public;
guidance, protected health information (PHI) of an • When responding to a request for PHI by a cor-
individual with COVID-19 or exposed to COVID- rectional institution or law enforcement offi-
19 can be shared with law enforcement under the fol- cial having lawful custody of an inmate or other
lowing circumstances: individual.117
• When the disclosure is needed to provide >> continued on page 42
treatment;
112. 5Newsonline.com. Arkansas Division of Emergency Management urging families to sign up for Smart911 during coronavirus
pandemic. March 20, 2020. https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/arkansas-division-of-emergency-management-urging-families-
to-sign-up-for-smart911/527-e7a58f60-c2c6-43cc-b4d0-8473af7defda
113. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “The pandemic’s impact on data collection, analysis, and metrics.” June 3, 2020.
114. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina explains how his department uses daily ‘heat maps.’ ”
April 9, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidapril9
115. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) is a federal law that required the creation of
national standards to protect sensitive patient health information from being disclosed without the patient’s consent or knowledge.
https://www.cdc.gov/phlp/publications/topic/hipaa.html
116. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina explains how his department uses daily ‘heat maps.’ ”
April 9, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidapril9
117. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. “COVID-19 and HIPAA: Disclosures to law enforcement,
paramedics, other first responders and public health authorities.” https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/covid-19-hipaa-and-first-
responders-508.pdf

In Israel, Police Enforced Very Tight Restrictions on the
Public’s Travel and Activities
In April 2020, PERF Executive Director Chuck are staying at home. People are not allowed
Wexler interviewed Superintendent Micky to go out of their houses. You can’t go for a
Rosenfeld, National Spokesman to Foreign 10-meter jog. You can’t go for a walk to see the
Media, Israel Police. Superintendent Rosenfeld next-door neighbors. For this specific part of
outlined the role of Israel Police in enforcing the festival, until tomorrow evening, everybody
restrictions on public activities that were far is in lockdown. The only people you’ll see on
stricter than in other countries. Following are the streets, if you walk around with me now
excerpts from that interview: on a foot patrol or drive-around, are police
officers, who have cordoned off cities and
Israel has one national police force with cordoned off neighborhoods.
30,000 officers. As of now, the
whole of the national police
force is involved in one major
issue: preventing the spread
of the coronavirus.
By law, anyone who has
come back to Israel from
abroad has to go through 14
days of isolation. Over the
past three weeks, the Israel
Police have visited 76,000
people in homes, knocked on
their doors, and made contact
with them in order to confirm
that they are in isolation.
We are also using
operational intelligence in Micky Rosenfeld, left, with a patrol unit
the same way we use it for
terrorism, to track people
and make sure they are where they should be This decision was made based on what
at any given time. For example, this week our took place during the Jewish festival of Purim
special patrol units were tracking telephones several weeks ago. In that holiday, there’s a
of people we have confirmed are COVID-19 significant meal that takes place where all the
positive. families get together. Unfortunately, that’s
Because of the Jewish Passover festival, when many contracted the COVID-19 virus,
which is beginning this evening, we are directly as a result of families coming together
making extra efforts to make sure that people and celebrating together.

continued from page 40
After this HHS guidance was released, the Bed- Despite the federal guidance, some jurisdictions
ford, NH Police Department was able to receive a chose to restrict public safety access to data on active
list of positive COVID-19 patients from the state COVID-19 cases. The Cook County, IL Board Presi-
Department of Health and Human Services.118 The dent vetoed a measure that would share this infor-
Volusia County, FL Sheriff ’s Office faced challenges mation to first responders through PSAPs, citing
until the Florida Surgeon General directed health concerns of public health officials and the potential
officials to provide Public Safety Answering Points for discrimination.120
(PSAPs), or 911 centers, with daily COVID-19
updates. With this information, the Sheriff ’s Office COVID-19: The #1 Cause of Death
could enter addresses associated with someone who To Police Officers
had tested positive into the CAD system. Deputies
would then be aware if they were responding to a In 2020 and 2021, COVID-related deaths of police
location where someone had tested positive. It also officers and sheriffs’ deputies outnumbered deaths
allowed the agency to track whether a deputy may from all other line-of-duty causes combined, accord-
have been in contact with anyone who tested positive ing to the Officer Down Memorial Page.
in the past 30 days.119 In 2020, there were 384 line-of-duty deaths, and
253 of these deaths were due to COVID, compared to
Officer Down Memorial Page. Some of the officers who died of COVID-19.
covidapril2
119. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Interviews with Florida chiefs and sheriffs.” March 27, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/
covidmarch27
120. WBBM News Radio. May 26, 2020. “Preckwinkle Issues Veto of Resolution to Share Addresses of COVID-Positive Individuals
with First Responders.” https://www.audacy.com/wbbm780/articles/preckwinkle-issues-veto-to-share-covid-positive-addresses

50 deaths by gunfire, the second most frequent cause Some law enforcement leaders have likened the
of death.121 In other words, 66% of all line-of-duty impact of COVID-19 to that of 9/11. In New York
deaths were caused by COVID. In 2021, that trend City, the police department saw an increase in officer
continued, with a total of 444 line-of-duty deaths as suicides and psychological and emotional treatment
of December 8, 292 of which were due to COVID, needs about 18 months after 9/11.125 Similar con-
compared to 60 deaths by gunfire.122 cerns are being expressed about medical profession-
Agencies also lost professional staff members of als who have been treating COVID-19 patients, with
their agencies to COVID-19 who are not included the expectation that once the intensity of respond-
in this count. The NYPD has lost 70 members of the ing to the largest waves of the pandemic wanes, first
department, a large number of whom were profes- responders will be faced with confronting the emo-
sional staff members.123 tional toll of working in such a sustained period of
Police chaplains report that they are dealing with trauma and stress.126
a range of issues and stresses among department per- When asked in March 2020 if anything in his
sonnel, including increased use of alcohol and even career could have prepared him for the COVID-
PTSD in some cases.124 The pandemic brought chal- 19 pandemic, New York City Police Commissioner
lenges not only for police employees, but also for Dermot Shea said,
their families who are trying to juggle work, child “9/11 is the event that I would compare it to,
care, school, and parenting. Chaplains are having although it’s very different in some ways. The simi-
to spend more time tending to the needs of family larity is that on 9/11, I remember thinking, ‘I’ll
members. never see anything like this again.’ I’ve never seen
Chaplains are working closely with employee anything like the COVID-19 crisis before. But it’s
assistance programs, peer counseling, and other a completely different experience in that you knew
department resources to manage the range of issues what 9/11 was, and it was somewhat contained
that police personnel are facing. after the first days and weeks. For some people, their
jobs went back to normal after a month.
Ensuring the Mental and Emotional “The COVID-19 pandemic is a strange experi-
ence. The strange part isn’t only that no one is out on
Wellness of First Responders
the street. It’s that we’re planning for the unknown.
While the physical health of officers was an immedi- That makes it difficult. Is this pandemic going to last
ate concern during the pandemic, many police agen- two weeks, two months, or a year?” 127
cies quickly recognized that COVID-19 would also
take a toll on their personnel’s mental and emotional The Aurora, IL Police Department recognized
well-being. This is a concern not only for police offi- the need for increased mental health programs and
cers, but also for others who experience the stress peer mentoring following a February 2019 mass
of dealing with COVID-related issues day after day, shooting in their community. The department has
including correctional officers, medical personnel, since bolstered its programs and resources, including
and paramedics. There is concern that the full impact a mobile phone app available to officers that connects
on first responders will not be known for a long time them with a mental health professional immediately
after the pandemic ends. and anonymously. During the pandemic, the Aurora
121. Officer Down Memorial Page. “Honoring Officers Killed in 2020.” https://www.odmp.org/search/year?year=2020
122. Officer Down Memorial Page. “Honoring Officers Killed in 2021.” https://www.odmp.org/search/year?year=2021
123. NYPD COVID-19 Memorial video. https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/about/memorials/covid-19-memorial.page
124. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “How police chaplains are supporting officers and civilian employees during the pandemic.”
January 27, 2021. https://www.policeforum.org/covid27jan21
125. ABC News. “Law enforcement groups urge mental health awareness amid coronavirus.” May 15, 2020. https://abcnews.go.com/
Politics/law-enforcement-groups-urge-mental-health-awareness-amid/story?id=70667340
126. New York Times. “ ‘I Can’t Turn My Brain Off ’: PTSD and Burnout Threaten Medical Workers.” May 16, 2020.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/16/health/coronavirus-ptsd-medical-workers.html
127. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Interviews with NYPD leaders.” March 26, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidmarch26

Police Department worked to “over-communicate” Chaplains also provided assistance to officers
with officers about the resources available. The and deputies who responded to weeks or months
department also created a platform where officers of demonstrations in 2020 following the killing of
can anonymously provide feedback to command George Floyd in Minneapolis. Rev. Joan Austin of the
staff as well as any concerns or criticisms.128 Minneapolis Police Department not only talked to
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers about the impact of the demonstrations, but
also focused on providing constant communication also about the exodus of officers who left the agency
to officers about positive cases in the department and or left the policing profession in 2020.132
other updates, recognizing the need to keep officers Rev. Jonathan Recaberren of the NYPD
informed for their own peace of mind. The 16 psy- explained the importance of being visible to officers
chologists in LAPD’s Behavioral Science Services during this time, saying,
section provided “Telehealth” sessions to members “We used Zoom at the beginning of the pandemic,
of the department.129 and it served its purpose to be there for them as
The Hennepin County, MN Sheriff ’s Office’s funeral services were held and for extended con-
(HSCO) Tri Wellness program was established in dolences. But when the protests began, I needed to
2019 to address the mental, physical, and spiritual physically be there. Members of the service were
health of HSCO’s employees.130 During COVID-19, dealing with a lot of hostility, and their lives were on
this program disseminated information to employ- the line. It really boosted their morale to know that
ees about how stress manifests differently in people, they weren’t in this alone.” 133
coping tips, and resources for first responders and
their families. These resources included county In addition to providing formal programs and
services, virtual meetings and support groups, and resources, many leaders of police agencies made a
mental health and crisis help line numbers. point to check in with their officers frequently dur-
Chaplaincy units also adapted to the pandemic ing the pandemic.
to ensure they would still be able to provide services
• Chief Paul Pazen of the Denver Police Depart-
to first responders. Police chaplains reached out to
ment asked Dr. John Nicoletti, a police psychol-
offer assistance to agency members who were suffer-
ogist, to conduct a wellness check with every
ing during the pandemic, using video conferencing,
officer in the department to discuss the impact of
FaceTime, and text messages. Some chaplains con-
COVID-19 on their work, on the officers them-
tinued to ride with officers and deputies on patrol,
selves, and on their families.134
so they would remain available as a resource for first
responders in the field. The chaplaincy program at • The Miami Police Department also conducted
the Harris County, TX Sheriff ’s Office put together check-ins with officers who quarantined. A desig-
care packages that could be delivered to employees nated team conducted these check-ins on a daily
who were exposed to COVID-19 and were isolating, basis throughout an officer’s quarantine.135
either at home or in hotels provided by the agency.131
128. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Officer wellness during the pandemic.” April 23, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidapril23
129. Ibid.
130. Mspmag.com. “Hennepin County Sheriff Dave Hutchinson on the Department’s Tri Wellness Unit.” February 19, 2021.
https://mspmag.com/arts-and-culture/dave-hutchinson-hennepin-county-sheriff/
132. Ibid.
133. Ibid.
134. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Interviews with Police Psychologist Dr. John Nicoletti and Castle Rock, CO Chief Jack Cauley.”
May 19, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidmay19

Providing Off-Duty Support • At the Los Angeles Police Department’s Police
To Officers and Their Families Academy, the department developed a Rest and
Recovery area for officers who were worried about
Police officers and sheriffs’ deputies are accustomed going home and exposing their loved ones to the
to thinking about the level of risk they face in per- virus. At the academy, officers could shower, sleep,
forming their duties. But COVID-19 was a new type and even get a haircut. For quarantine purposes,
of concern, because officers not only had to consider officers were also able to stay at a designated hotel
their own risk of contracting the coronavirus, but for two weeks.139
also the possibility that if they became infected, they
might inadvertently infect their family members. For Agencies also included families of officers/
many first responders, this was a significant concern deputies in their peer support efforts.140
and source of stress. • The Clearwater, FL Police Department has a
To alleviate some of the fears of transmitting Family Support Liaison who provides officers’
COVID-19 to loved ones, many police agencies families with support and information about
created quarantine space for officers who had been employment benefits, protective equipment, and
exposed to the virus. how the department was handling COVID-19
• The Seattle Police Department found alterna- exposures.
tive housing for officers who needed to quaran- • The Boston Police Department’s Peer Support
tine themselves. This work was coordinated by the Unit offers a wide array of services to members of
department’s Wellness Services Unit, which also the department, including access to clinical staff,
coordinated care packages and food delivery for peer support personnel, information on how to
officers in isolation and their families.136 help children with coping mechanisms, and other
• The Irving, TX Police Department identified two resources. Everything offered to members of the
housing alternatives. First, officers who believed department was also available to their immediate
they were exposed to COVID-19 and were wor- family members.
ried about exposing their families were allowed to
quarantine at local hotels. Second, officers whom Financial strain was another concern for first
the department knew to be or were suspected of responders and their families, especially in light of
being exposed to COVID-19 could isolate at a the severe impacts that COVID-19 had on the econ-
local recreation center that the agency opened for omy and employment. Many jurisdictions explored
that purpose.137 hazardous-duty pay for front-line workers, includ-
ing law enforcement personnel. In Flint, MI, officers
• The Santa Cruz, CA Police Department allowed received $1,200 and other eligible staff in the depart-
officers to quarantine at local hotels when directed ment received $750.141
to by their doctors. In these instances, the depart- Chaplaincy units adjusted to the pandemic by
ment covered the cost of the hotel and provided providing resources to officers’ family members, and
meals to the quarantined officers.138
136. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Addressing officer safety concerns and changes to training programs.” March 24, 2020.
137. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Interviews with police executives and officer wellness resources.” March 23, 2020.
140. Ibid.
141. Mlive.com. “Flint City Council approves hazardous-duty pay for front-line workers during coronavirus crisis.” May 14,
2020. https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2020/05/flint-city-council-approves-hazardous-duty-pay-for-front-line-workers-during-
coronavirus-crisis.html

some chaplains reported an increase in calls from “In many other countries, police officers and law
concerned family members during the pandemic. enforcement colleagues are being prioritized, and
For example, the San Diego Police Department’s I want my officers to get the vaccine,” she said.145
wellness unit can respond to a family member’s con- She said there had been 97 “disgusting” incidents in
cerns at any time of the day to provide resources.142 which people intentionally coughed at officers after
saying they were COVID-positive or otherwise men-
tioned it, and 48 incidents where people intentionally
Vaccinating Officers
spat at officers. “We’ve charged 126 people with that,
Toward the end of 2020, it was announced that sev- and nearly two-thirds of them have got custodial
eral COVID-19 vaccines were close to receiving sentences,” Commissioner Dick said. At that time,
emergency use authorization from the FDA. For in January 2021, three members of the Metropolitan
many, this signaled that the pandemic might finally Police Service had died of COVID.
start to wane, and usher in a return to normalcy. The There was variation in how closely involved
arrival of vaccines also posed another logistical chal- police agencies were in rolling out the vaccine to
lenge for police agencies nationwide. Agencies had their personnel. Some agencies developed their own
to plan for how to obtain and distribute vaccines distribution plans and schedules and arranged for
to their personnel, and also how to combat vac- vaccination clinics at police facilities, while others
cine hesitancy among some officers. Because offi- simply encouraged their members to get vaccinated
cers remained engaged with the public throughout when eligible. For agencies that created distribution
the pandemic, vaccines became a significant officer plans, factors to consider included how to prioritize
safety and wellness priority. the rollout among their agency personnel, with high
priority given to officers who had the most frequent
Vaccine Distribution Logistics contacts with the public, jail inmates, and other
potentially high-risk people. Another factor that
Although three vaccines had received emergency use some agencies considered was staggering appoint-
authorization by the end of February 2021, they ini- ments, to reduce the impact in case some officers had
tially proved hard to obtain in some localities. Each side effects from the vaccines and might need time
state had different supply levels and developed their off to recover.
own plans for prioritizing the distribution of the vac- Many agencies followed the lead of the states and
cine. In Massachusetts, for example, police personnel created priority lists for vaccinations within their
were included in the first priority group.143 However, departments. The St. Mary’s County, MD Sheriff ’s
in Ohio, police personnel were in the third priority Office, for example, had a three-tier system:
group to receive access to the vaccine.144 Police agen-
cies had to track their states’ vaccination distribution • Tier 1 – Jail personnel and front-line patrol
plan as a starting point for creating their own plan. personnel.
In London, Metropolitan Police Commissioner • Tier 2 – Remaining patrol administration, Special
Cressida Dick publicly said she was “baffled” by the Operations Division, investigations divisions, cor-
government’s decision not to give police officers rections administration, vice and narcotics unit,
any priority status for receiving COVID vaccines. and the medical staff at the jail.
143. Mass.gov. “Phased vaccine distribution plan.” https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-covid-19-vaccination-
phases#phase-1-
144. Ohio Department of Health. “COVID-19 Vaccine Fact Sheet: Priority Populations and Vaccine Distribution.” https://coronavirus.
ohio.gov/static/vaccine/general_fact_sheet.pdf
145. The Guardian. “Met chief ‘baffled’ by lack of Covid vaccines for police.” January 19, 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/
uk-news/2021/jan/19/cressida-dick-covid-vaccines-police-spit-attacks

• The Austin, TX Police Department was able to
administer the vaccine to officers within the city’s
shared public safety wellness center.
• The New Castle County, DE Police Department,
in partnership with the EMS personnel who
share the same building, set up a mobile hospital
in a parking lot where officers could receive the
vaccine.
• Members of the Los Angeles Police Department
were able to receive the vaccine administered by
members of the Los Angeles Fire Department at
Charleston, SC Lt. Timothy Dasher receiving his four fire stations that had been designated as test-
second vaccine ing and vaccination sites.149
Vaccinations of Professional Staff Members

• Tier 3 – Office of Professional Responsibilities, As states released their plans for priority distribution
remaining administrative staff, and professional of the vaccine, there was a question about whether
staff.146 police agencies’ professional staff members would be
In addition to creating access tiers, many agen- considered eligible for the vaccine at the same time
cies also scheduled vaccinations by shift. The Lowell, as their officer counterparts. In addition to questions
MA Police Department took advantage of its nor- of fairness, police executives expressed concern that
mal 4-days-on, 2-days-off schedule by having offi- police operations would be negatively impacted if a
cers receive the shot on their last day they were on large number of professional staff were out due to the
duty. In that way, they had two days off to recover virus, just as they would if a large number of officers
from any side effects. Officers who were unable to be contracted the virus.
vaccinated on their last day on duty were not charged Access to the vaccine for professional staff mem-
sick time if they had to take off due to side effects.147 bers varied by state. In Massachusetts, professional
Agencies also factored into their rollout plans staff members were not given priority access along-
where the vaccines would be administered.148 side sworn personnel. To ensure that professional
staff members were as well protected as possible, the
• Officers from the Janesville, WI Police Depart- Lowell, MA Police Department sent out reminders
ment were able to receive the vaccine from a local to vaccinated officers to continue wearing face masks
hospital with whom the department had a good around professional staff.150
working relationship.
146. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Vaccine distribution to agency personnel.” December 29, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/
coviddec29
147. PERF Daily Critical Issues Report, “Agencies that have vaccinated a high percentage of their employees and spring break in Miami
148. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Interviews with Austin, TX Chief Brian Manley, Janesville, WI Chief David Moore, and New
Castle County, DE Major Wendi Feeser about vaccine distribution.” January 12, 2021. https://www.policeforum.org/covid12jan21
149. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Vaccinations in the Los Angeles Fire Department and the Israel Police.” February 4, 2021.
https://www.policeforum.org/covid4feb21
150. PERF Daily Critical Issues Report, “Agencies that have vaccinated a high percentage of their employees and spring break in Miami

Percent of Professional Staff Who Have And because clinical trials are conducted before
Received Vaccine So Far (March 2021) n=239 the vaccines are approved for emergency use or
general use, volunteers do not have the same infor-
mation about potential side effects that the general
10% population will later be given, as they decide whether
26% Less than 25%
to receive the vaccine.152
25−49% Despite these concerns, thousands of individuals
23%
50−75% signed up to participate in these trials, knowing that
More than 75% the development of effective vaccines was essential to
14%
ending the pandemic.
Don’t Know
27% In the summer of 2020, many volunteers for
testing the Moderna vaccine came from the Den-
ver Police Department (DPD). After hearing that
PERF Survey, “Police Employee Vaccinations” 151
UCHealth in Denver was participating in the Mod-
erna study, Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen con-
tacted the health care network to see if they would
This uneven prioritization of professional staff accept volunteers from the department. Given the
resulted in agencies reporting that fewer of their pro- diversity of DPD employees and the fact that officers
fessional staff were receiving vaccines early on, when were at high risk for contracting COVID-19 due to
compared to sworn personnel. In a March 2021 PERF their work as first responders, police leaders believed
survey, 26% of respondents indicated that fewer than they would be good candidates for the trial, and the
25% of their professional staff members had been Moderna researchers agreed.153
vaccinated. By contrast, only 7% of responding agen- DPD leaders’ top priority for participation in the
cies reported that fewer than 25% of their officers trial was the safety of officers. Chief Pazen gathered
had received a vaccine. information about the Moderna vaccine to ensure
that participation in the trial would not put members
The Denver Police Department’s Role of the department or their families in jeopardy.
In Testing the Moderna Vaccine DPD also coordinated with union officials about
participation in the clinical trial. Detective Nick Rog-
In November 2020, three companies announced pos- ers, President of the Denver Police Protective Associ-
itive results from the clinical trials of their COVID- ation, volunteered to be part of the trial, and said he
19 vaccines. Clinical trials are a vital component of didn’t see vaccines as a labor-vs.-management issue,
testing the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, and but rather as an officer safety issue.
these trials are made possible by volunteers who At the time of the trial, the volunteers did not
agree to participate. know whether they received the vaccine or a placebo.
Because the purpose is to compare the health Later, the study was made “unblind,” so that those
outcomes of people who receive the vaccine with who received the placebo would know they should
others who do not receive the vaccine, some partici- receive the vaccine when it was made generally
pants receive the vaccine while others do not, and available.
participants are not told whether they are receiving The fact that Chief Pazen and Detective Rog-
the vaccine or a placebo. ers endorsed the trial and personally volunteered to
151. PERF Daily Critical Issues Report, “Survey on police employee vaccinations.” March 23, 2021. https://www.policeforum.org/
criticalissues23mar21
152. Michigan Health. “COVID-19 Vaccine Trial Volunteers Explain Why They Signed Up.” November 17, 2020. https://healthblog.
uofmhealth.org/wellness-prevention/covid-19-vaccine-trial-volunteers-explain-why-they-signed-up
153. 9News.com. “Denver officers, police chief enroll in COVID vaccine trial.” December 4, 2020. https://www.9news.com/article/
news/health/coronavirus/denver-police-chief-officers-enroll-covid-vaccine-trial/73-0b97ff2a-eb97-4f2a-b63f-edd3eb4cf00a

receive the vaccine helped to build trust in the vac- In early March 2021, PERF again surveyed its
cine. In total, 144 members of the department vol- members to gauge the progress agencies had made in
unteered to participate in the study.154 Later, when vaccinating their personnel. 240 agencies responded,
vaccines were approved for general use, the Denver and 78% were tracking how many members of
Police Department had a higher-than-average vac- their agencies were getting vaccinated. The findings
cination rate, with 82% of members receiving the appeared positive. 54% of the responding agencies
Moderna or other vaccines. reported that more than half of their sworn person-
nel had already been vaccinated. This was impressive,
Combatting Vaccine Hesitancy considering that vaccines were not yet widely avail-
In Law Enforcement Agencies able in early March, even for high-priority groups.
Only 7% of agencies reported that fewer than 25% of
In December 2020, PERF surveyed its members their officers had been vaccinated.156
to get a better understanding of how police agen- Many police agencies worked to increase vac-
cies were planning to roll out the vaccine and what cination rates among their staff. One of the most
expectations they had for the process. Of the 192 common methods was to disseminate information
responding agencies, 31% estimated that more than about the vaccine from trusted sources. Some agen-
three-quarters of their personnel would get vac- cies used the latest information from the CDC, while
cinated, and 47% estimated half to three-quarters others also used information from local medical pro-
would get vaccinated. In an effort to foster greater fessionals. Agencies held mandatory meetings and
vaccination rates, 66% planned to undertake an trainings, sent emails, and held webinars and Q&A
internal campaign to encourage members to get sessions to ensure that officers had all of the informa-
vaccinated.155 tion they needed to make an informed decision.
Approximately What Percentage of Members of Percent of Sworn Personnel Who Have Received
Your Agency Do You Anticipate Will Want to Be Vaccine So Far (n=239)
Vaccinated? (n=192)
2%
7% 7%
20% Less than 25% Less than 25%
31% 26−50% 18%
25−49%
51−75% 32% 50−75%
More than 75% More than 75%
Don’t Know
47% 35%
PERF December 2020 Vaccine Survey PERF March 2021 Vaccine Survey
154. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Interview with Denver Chief Paul Pazen about his agency’s participation in the Moderna vaccine
study.” November 30, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidnov30
155. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Survey: What police executives are expecting with coronavirus vaccines.” December 21, 2020.
https://www.policeforum.org/coviddec21
156. PERF Daily Critical Issues Report, “Survey on police employee vaccinations.” March 23, 2021. https://www.policeforum.org/
criticalissues23mar21

Agency executives also led by example by getting and deputies to get vaccinated while on duty, or to
the vaccines themselves, publicly in some instances. use overtime to attend their appointments.
In PERF’s March 2021 survey, most of the survey Other agencies offered incentives to encourage
respondents were the chief executives of their agen- their members to get vaccinated. These included
cies, and 87% of them reported having received a monetary incentives, such as gift cards, and addi-
COVID-19 vaccine. tional leave time. In accordance with CDC guide-
lines, agencies also relaxed some COVID-19
• St. Mary’s County, MD Sheriff Tim Cameron
precautions for those who had been vaccinated. In
was one of the first to receive a vaccine as part of
some agencies, vaccinated personnel were allowed
the county’s rollout, which included prominent
to participate in non-mandatory training that had
community members receiving the vaccine to
been suspended throughout the pandemic, and vac-
reassure the community about its safety.157
cinated personnel could also resume business travel.
• Fort Smith, AK Police Chief Danny Baker also The Cambridge, MA Police Department allowed
received the vaccine on camera, in an effort to vaccinated personnel to use the department’s gym,
encourage his officers to do the same. Chief Baker which had been closed.159 That proved to be a popu-
explained to a local news station why he was doing lar incentive.
so, saying, “I understand the apprehension that Agencies also cautioned personnel about how the
exists. [But] personal health ... and officer wellness decision to not get vaccinated might have negative
always have been a priority for us, and I don’t see effects. Throughout the pandemic, many agencies
this as any different.” 158 did not charge officers sick leave if they contracted
COVID-19, but after the vaccines were available,
Many agencies were directly involved in coor-
officers in some agencies were charged sick leave if
dinating vaccine appointments for their personnel,
they contracted the virus after declining the vaccine.
and some took steps to make the vaccination process
as easy as possible. This included allowing officers
right: Fort
Smith, AK
Police Chief
Danny Baker
far right:
Israel Police
Facebook
coviddec29
158. 4029tv.com. “Fort Smith police chief hopes to lead by example for getting COVID-19 vaccine.” Jan. 28, 2021. https://www.4029tv.
com/article/fort-smith-police-chief-hopes-to-lead-by-example-for-getting-covid-19-vaccine/35356224
159. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Recap of PERF’s webinar about vaccinations.” February 18, 2021. https://www.policeforum.org/
covid18feb21

Some Cities and States Impose Vaccine In Norwood, MA, Police Chief Bill Brooks issued
Mandates as Vaccination Rates Plateau an order requiring his officers to receive vaccinations
by August 31, 2021. “I have one officer who is pursu-
When vaccines were first made available, most ing a medical exemption,” he told PERF. “The others
police agencies were wary about requiring officers or are all getting their shots.” 164
professional staff members to receive a vaccine. In Chief Brooks said he views vaccinations not only
PERF’s December 2020 survey, only 3% of respon- as an officer safety issue, but as a public safety issue.
dents indicated that they would make the vaccines “The week before the order was issued, I was making
mandatory.160 my rounds on foot patrol talking to people, and three
However, by July and August 2021, when it was times, senior citizens asked me if our officers were
becoming clear that vaccination rates were not high vaccinated,” he said. “It struck me that they were
enough to reach herd immunity in the United States, concerned that if they called 911, an officer who was
a rapidly growing number of local, state, and fed- infected might respond. So it became very clear to
eral government agencies were adopting mandates me that the public was concerned about this issue.”
that public employees, including police personnel, John Camper, Director of the Colorado Bureau
get vaccinated. New York City and State, the State of Investigation, sent a message to his officers and
of California, the city of San Francisco, and several professional staff about the importance of vaccines.165
counties in the Bay Area were among the first to “What kind of Chief would I be if I didn’t put
announce that their employees would be required to citizen and officer safety at the very top of my pri-
get vaccinated.161 ority list?” Director Camper wrote. “What kind of
Police unions in many jurisdictions were resist- Chief would I be if I didn’t equip my officers with
ing vaccine mandates, threatening to file lawsuits to the tactical training and weaponry that they need to
prevent them from taking effect.162 However, as of face the dangers of increasingly high-risk calls? If I
October 2021, most lawsuits were not succeeding in didn’t mandate that my officers wear ballistic vests
stopping the vaccine mandates.163 to protect themselves, despite the cost and the hassle
In some agencies, such as the San Francisco and the discomfort? Knowing that COVID-19 killed
Police Department, vaccination rates among officers more cops last year than all other causes combined,
reached 80% or more. But rates were much lower to include traffic accidents and being shot, what kind
in other agencies, even though hundreds of officers of Chief would I be if I didn’t consider it to be the sin-
nationwide were continuing to die from COVID-19 gular most critical officer safety issue of our time?”
(see page 42).
160. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Survey: What police executives are expecting with coronavirus vaccines.” December 21, 2020.
161. See, for example:
“New York City and California to Require Vaccines or Tests for Workers,” New York Times, July 26, 2021.
“N.Y.P.D. to Unvaccinated Officers: Wear Masks or Face Discipline,” New York Times, Aug. 19, 2021.
“Coronavirus cases spiking in LAPD as some officers skirt vaccine mandate,” Los Angeles Times, Aug. 26, 2021.
“Lightfoot to impose vaccine mandate for city employees,” Chicago Sun-Times, Aug. 23, 2021.
“San Diego mandating all city workers be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Nov. 2,” San Diego Union-Tribune.
162. See “ ‘Hell no’: Some police officers and their unions oppose vaccination mandates.” NBC News, Aug. 27, 2021.
163. “New York City’s biggest police union sues over the city’s vaccine mandate,” New York Times, October 25, 2021.
164. “PERF Trending: Where is the sense of urgency about COVID deaths of police officers?” September 4, 2021.
https://www.policeforum.org/trending4sep21
165. Ibid.

Commissioner Dermot Shea on How COVID Impacted NYC
PERF Executive Director Chuck Wexler
interviewed New York City Police Commissioner
Dermot Shea on five occasions during the first
year of the pandemic. No department was harder
hit by COVID than the NYPD, particularly in the
early months of the pandemic. The course of the
pandemic can be traced in these five interviews,
excerpted below:
March 26, 2020

Commissioner Shea: New York State currently
accounts for more than half of the known Commissioner Shea: You don’t have to
coronavirus cases in the United States, and have all the answers, but you have to make
New York City has more than half of the cases the hard calls. You do the best you can. In the
in all of New York State. NYPD, there’s an awful lot of moving parts,
I’d advise other departments to take your with 56,000 people, all the interconnections
personnel allocations extremely seriously. with different agencies, and different law
We’ve emptied our headquarters out. In offices enforcement partners offering to help. Keep
that don’t empty out, when one person gets your sight on moving forward, and keep your
the virus, everyone gets it. sight on the big picture, on what’s really
The strange part isn’t just that no one important to the city.167
is out on the street. It’s that we’re planning
for the unknown. That makes it difficult. Is September 11, 2020
this pandemic going to last two weeks, two
On the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks,
months, or a year? You have to prepare for the
Wexler asked Commissioner Shea if he saw any
worst. You can always pull back, but you don’t
parallels between that disaster and the COVID
want to be trying to catch up.166
pandemic.
April 17, 2020 Commissioner Shea: There’s a parallel,
because you have to fight to get through both
Less than one month later, the NYPD had
of them, and there’s certainly the need for
lost 27 members to COVID-19. Wexler asked
resilience and a lot of rebuilding. But they
Commissioner Shea what leadership looks like
are very different circumstances. 9/11 was an
during a pandemic.
instantaneous shock to the country. We lost 23
members of the NYPD. The Fire Department
166. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Interviews with NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea, First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin
Tucker, and Chief of Department Terry Monahan.” March 26, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidmarch26
167. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Interview with NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea.” April 17, 2020. https://www.policeforum.
org/covidapril17

lost over 300. And it rocked the
country into war. New York City,
particularly Lower Manhattan, was
devastated.
COVID has been a different kind
of fight. We’ve lost 46 members
of the NYPD, and we’re still in the
COVID pandemic.
The parallel I draw is that you
see the best in people at the worst
of times. You see the work that is
being done on a daily basis.168 the large gatherings and follow the executive
orders. We try to do that with the right touch,
October 15, 2020 so that we can get voluntary compliance.169
By October, many cities and states were
experiencing conflicts between people who March 17, 2021
wanted to reopen businesses and cultural Wexler: What are your reflections on the
institutions, and others who supported tighter pandemic as we pass the one-year anniversary of
rules to reduce the continuing spread of the virus. New York City declaring a state of emergency?
In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered a
Commissioner Shea: It’s like it just won’t go
tightening of rules on schools, businesses, and
away at this point. 52 members of the NYPD
religious gatherings, which created an uproar and
disturbances in Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods have passed away.170 Of course things are
of Brooklyn. better today than a year ago, but the NYPD
has three people in the hospital right now.
Commissioner Shea: The Governor and the
Mayor tried to get their arms around the best It’s been a long journey. The vaccines are
method to control the rate of transmission, here, and we’re vaccinating members of the
and it falls on the police in how we accomplish department. This week New York is giving
that. A lot of people are calling on us to issue vaccines to residents in the housing authority.
summonses for violations, but I see our way That ties into building trust and community
through this as education. Our goal is to relations. God willing, the whole country will
keep people safe and avoid having people get get back to some sense of normalcy soon
sick unnecessarily. We want people to stop regarding COVID.171
168. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Interview with NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea about 9/11, COVID-19, and crime.”
September 15, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/criticalissuessep15
169. PERF Daily Critical Issues Report, “Interview with NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea.” October 15, 2020.
https://www.policeforum.org/criticalissuesoct15
170. By October 2021, 70 members of the NYPD had died of COVID-19.
171. PERF Daily Critical Issues Report, “Interview with NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea.” March 17, 2021.
https://www.policeforum.org/criticalissues17mar21

CHAPTER 3:
How COVID-19 Impacted Crime
And the Work of Policing
Although some police operations were Crime and the Police Response
curtailed during the COVID-19 pandemic, core
functions essential to public safety can never be Early Warnings of Changing Crime Patterns
suspended. During the pandemic, police also took During the Pandemic
on new responsibilities. This chapter discusses new
At the start of the pandemic, many agencies saw a
roles that police departments and sheriffs’ offices
decrease in their calls for service. In April 2020, the
were given, or that they chose to take on, including
New York City Police Department reported that
the following:
calls for service had declined by 25% since the start
• Responding to violent crime and other serious of the pandemic.172 A preliminary study of calls for
offenses, while reducing their in-person response service in 10 cities during the early months of the
to lesser offenses in order to reduce the spread of pandemic found the frequency of calls decreased
COVID; in most of the studied cities, following the closure
of schools and the implementation of stay-at-home
• Assisting vulnerable populations, including
orders.173
domestic violence victims who were at greater
But crime did not stop during the pandemic,
risk because of pandemic conditions; vulnerable
and police agencies still had to respond to and inves-
children; and persons experiencing homelessness
tigate crimes. Some police agencies reported that
during the pandemic;
some types of crime, such as residential burglaries,
• Engaging with other law enforcement depart- decreased in the early months of the pandemic. With
ments, public health agencies, and others to many people working from home, there were fewer
create a regional response to the pandemic. opportunities to burglarize residential properties. On
the other hand, burglaries of businesses increased,
especially businesses that had closed because of the
pandemic.
covidapril7
173. Ashby, Matthew P.J. (2020). “Changes in Police Calls for Service During the Early Months of the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic.”
Policing: A Journal of Policy and Practice, 14(4), p. 1054-1072. https://doi.org/10.1093/police/paaa037
54 — Chapter 3: How COVID-19 Impacted Crime and the Work of Policing

Another early indication of changing crime PERF’s fall 2020 survey shows a 28% increase
patterns was that some agencies noticed increases in homicides: In November 2020, PERF surveyed
in domestic violence, likely triggered by COVID- its members about crime trends they were seeing.
related stresses such as job loss and disruption of liv- This information, combined with data collected by
ing patterns, with abusers more likely to be at home the Major Cities Chiefs Association, showed large
for most of the day. increases in homicides and aggravated assaults in
many jurisdictions in January-September 2020,
Sharp spikes in violent crime: In the summer when compared to January-September 2019.177
and fall of 2020, PERF was hearing reports of sharp Among the 223 police agencies studied, which
increases in homicides and shootings in many cities. included a mix of small, medium, and large depart-
By the spring of 2021, that trend had solidified, with ments, 58% of respondents reported an increase in
many cities reporting increases of 30% or more in homicides. The total number of homicides in those
these violent offenses. 223 agencies was 7,158 in the first nine months of
This section provides a general overview of how 2020, compared to 5,583 during the same period of
the pandemic impacted crime. It includes prelimi- 2019 – a 28% increase.
nary crime data from police agencies, news media Similarly, among the 223 police agencies, two-
reporting, and summaries of early research that has thirds reported in increase in aggravated assaults.
been conducted on the subject. Time and further The 223 agencies reported a total of 250,067 aggra-
research are needed to fully understand how crime vated assaults in 2020, compared to 228,843 such
was impacted by the events of 2020 and 2021. offenses in 2019 – a 9% increase.
Homicides, Shootings, and Carjackings PERF’s summer 2021 survey: PERF conducted
Increased a second survey in August 2021, in which we asked
agencies to provide their crime data for January
New York City was one of the first cities to report a through July 2021, and to provide the comparable
dramatic increase in shootings in May 2020. Com- data for the same seven-month period in 2020.178
pared to May 2019, shootings increased by 64%.174 This new survey revealed that among the
The following month, the city saw a 130% increase in responding departments:
shootings when compared to June 2019.175
• Homicides increased 12% in January-July 2021,
Interim Chief Susan Manheimer of the Oakland,
compared to the same period in 2020;
CA Police Department also reported an increase in
shootings and homicides, which she attributed to • Aggravated assaults increased 5%;
gang disputes during the shelter-in-place order, the • Shootings increased 16%; and
release of individuals who had been arrested for gun
offenses during the pandemic, and the early release • Carjackings increased 16%.
of inmates without social support.176
174. NYPD. “NYPD Announces Citywide Crime Statistics for May 2020.” https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/news/p0618a/
nypd-citywide-crime-statistics-may-2020
175. NYPD. “NYPD Announces Citywide Crime Statistics for June 2020.” https://www1.nyc.gov/site/nypd/news/pr0706/
nypd-citywide-crime-statistics-june-2020
176. PERF Daily Critical Issues Report, “Interview with Oakland Interim Chief Susan Manheimer.” October 14, 2020.
https://www.policeforum.org/criticalissuesoct14
177. PERF Daily Critical Issues Report, “New data on increasing violent crime rates.” November 18, 2020. https://www.policeforum.
org/criticalissuesnov18
178. “PERF Special Report: Violent Crime Trends: Homicides, Shootings, and Carjackings Are Increasing in 2021; Robberies Continue
to Decline.” September 22, 2021. https://www.policeforum.org/violentcrimesurveyseptember2021
Chapter 3: How COVID-19 Impacted Crime and the Work of Policing — 55

Homicides: The increases in homicides were not survey, robberies declined 11% between 2019 and
limited to the largest cities: 2020. In PERF’s second survey, robberies decreased
8% from 2020 to 2021.
• Fresno, CA reported an increase in homicides
from 22 to 45. Closing of courts resulted in a lack of account-
• Mesa, AZ saw an increase from 8 to 19. ability among offenders: Many police chiefs
reported that the increases in violent crime were due
• St. Petersburg, FL saw an increase from 10 to 22.
in part to the fact that courts and other criminal jus-
Aggravated assaults: The increase in aggravated tice agencies had mostly shut down during the pan-
assaults was found in cities in all size categories, with demic. With courts unable to convene juries due to
larger percentage increases in smaller cities such as the risks of COVID transmission, offenders had little
Vail, CO and Clemson City, SC. incentive to plead guilty.
Shootings: The 16% increase in shootings was Release of jail inmates: Many jurisdictions
concentrated in the largest and smallest agencies, also released hundreds or thousands of jail inmates,
with medium-size departments reporting little in order to free up space and keep the remaining
change overall. For example: inmates socially distanced from each other. Often,
these jail inmates were released without the usual
• Portland, OR reported an increase from 392 to 752
network of services that released inmates would
shootings.
receive, such as drug treatment. Accountability was
• Tampa, FL experienced an increase from 75 to 150 lax at times, because probation agencies were also
shootings. operating on a reduced level due to COVID-19.
• Thomasville, GA saw an increase from 3 to 13
shootings. Increases in Hate Incidents
Targeting Asian Americans
Carjackings: The 16% increase in carjackings
was very concentrated in the largest cities. Small and Unfortunately, the rise in COVID-19 cases coincided
medium-size cities overall reported decreases in car- with a rise in harassment towards Asian Americans
jackings. For example: across the country. With the virus originating in
• Long Beach, CA reported 36 carjackings in the Wuhan, China, Asian Americans found themselves
first seven months of 2021, compared to 15 in the the target of harassment, intimidation, and hate
first seven months of 2020. crimes by individuals blaming this population for the
pandemic. Political rhetoric echoing this sentiment
• Montgomery County, MD reported an increase further encouraged such targeted hate. Stop AAPI
from 5 to 37. Hate tracked hate incidents during the pandemic,
• Portland, OR reported an increase from 28 to 70. and reported that between March 19, 2020 and Feb-
ruary 28, 2021, the group received 3,795 reports of
In these carjacking incidents, many of the sus- harassment.179
pects were young and repeat offenders. Common Police agencies, particularly those that serve
targets included delivery drivers, people warming up large Asian-American communities, conducted out-
their cars, and ride share drivers. Some suspects vio- reach in an effort to increase the reporting of these
lently assaulted their victims, even when the victim
incidents when they occur. The San Francisco Police
complied with their demands.
Department and the San Francisco District Attor-
Robberies decreased: In both of PERF’s surveys, ney’s Office collaborated on a video explaining the
agencies reported decreases in robberies. In the first process of reporting hate crimes.
179. Stop AAPI Hate. 2020-2021 National Report. https://stopaapihate.org/2020-2021-national-report/

“Hate and discrimination have no home here and should not be acceptable
to any of us. I want you to know that your San Francisco Police Department
and all of its members are fully committed to protecting our city’s diverse
communities and investigating all hate crime allegations.”
– Chief William Scott, San Francisco Police Department 180
In the very early weeks of the pandemic, Belle Mylett said. “I didn’t hear firsthand experiences in
vue, WA Police Chief Stephen Mylett expressed Bellevue of hate and bias-related incidents. One of
concern about a backlash against his city’s Chinese- my employees is looped into the Chinese commu-
American community, which makes up about one- nity specifically and the AAPI community at large
third of the population. He noticed a sharp increase through WeChat and other social media groups. If
in the purchase of firearms in that community and it’s happening and being talked about, my employee
called an emergency meeting of his Asian-Pacific would know about it and report it to me. I checked
Islander Advisory Council to discuss their con- with her again this morning, and we’re not hearing
cerns.181 Later, in May 2020, Chief Mylett held a it.” 183
virtual town hall meeting to hear accounts of hate The Oakland, CA Police Department part-
incidents.182 nered with the Alameda County District Attorney’s
Fortunately, by March 2021, Chief Mylett Office to create a special response team, created the
reported that he hadn’t received any reports of hate position of Chinatown liaison officer, and increased
crimes in Bellevue targeting Asian American Pacific the visibility of officers in the Chinatown area.184
Islander (AAPI) communities in 2021, although he Overall, agencies focused on conducting out-
was concerned that there might be incidents going reach to their Asian-American communities and
unreported. on encouraging greater reporting of hate-motivated
“Last month, we did another large Zoom com- incidents towards these communities.
munity event targeting the AAPI community specifi-
cally, and I was pleased with what I didn’t hear,” Chief
Assisting Vulnerable Populations
As stay-at-home orders began going into effect in
March 2020, there was a growing concern for pop-
ulations who were already vulnerable before the
pandemic, including victims of domestic violence,
children in abusive households, and individuals
Bellevue police experiencing homelessness. Many police depart-
reached out to ments and sheriffs’ offices worked to serve these pop-
a person who ulations by increasing awareness of available services
had a politically
charged
and by working with other government agencies and
message in her nonprofit organizations.
window.
180. San Francisco Police Department and San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. “Combating Hate Crimes.” https://vimeo.com/
409110581
181. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Limiting in-person police responses.” March 20, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/
covidmarch20
182. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Hate crimes against Asian-Americans.” May 7, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/covidmay7
183. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Hate crimes and bias-related incidents against Asian-Americans.” March 16, 2021.
https://www.policeforum.org/covid16mar21
184. Ibid.

Domestic Violence During COVID-19 population. But domestic violence offenses and
violations of domestic violence restraining orders
Potential increases in domestic violence incidents were not included in this policy.
have been a concern for many law enforcement
agencies and victim service providers throughout • The Topeka, KS Police Department revised its
the pandemic. Close confinement, rising unemploy- guidance on handling calls for service during the
ment and economic uncertainty, and school and pandemic, to reduce the level of response when
childcare closures were all seen as potential contrib- possible and to prevent unnecessarily risky in-
utors to increases in domestic violence. Additionally, person contacts between police and community
victim services and shelters were not able to operate members. However, domestic violence was one
at pre-pandemic capacity, resulting in more limited of six crimes requiring the highest level of police
avenues for victims to seek assistance.185 response.
Early data indicated that domestic violence inci- • The Alamance County, NC Sheriff ’s Office sus-
dents increased in the first month of the pandemic. pended all warrant service, with an exception for
An April 2020 review found that several agencies domestic violence warrants and issues of public
noted increases in domestic violence calls in March safety.
2020 when compared to March 2019:
Many police agencies also sought assistance
• San Antonio Police Department – 18-percent
from local victim service partners to ensure continu-
increase in family violence calls.
ity during the pandemic.
• Jefferson County, AL Sheriff ’s Office – 27-percent
• In the Spokane, WA Police Department, officers
increase in domestic violence calls.
assigned to the domestic violence unit helped con-
• New York City Police Department – 10-percent tact victims to maintain services when local pro-
increase in domestic violence reports.186 viders and advocates were not available.189
Nationally, the Gun Violence Archive found that • The Rockford, IL Police Department coordi-
more than 2,000 people were killed in domestic-vio- nated with victim services to ensure that abusers
lence-related shootings in 2020 – a 4% increase over could not use COVID-19 as another tool to con-
2019. The highest rates of these killings were found trol their victims. For example, police worked to
in Texas, Utah, Missouri, and Maryland.187 ensure that alternatives were available to victims
Recognizing the increased threat of domestic if the local shelter was not able to accommodate
violence, police agencies made exceptions to pan- them. In coordination with the city government,
demic-related policy changes for domestic violence police launched social media campaigns about
calls.188 alternative ways for victims to reach out for help,
such as phone numbers that victims could text if
• The Santa Cruz, CA Police Department allowed they were not in a position to safely make a phone
officers to use alternatives to arrest for misde- call.190
meanor offenses, in an effort to reduce the jail
185. Evans, Lindauer, and Farrell. The New England Journal of Medicine. “A Pandemic within a Pandemic — Intimate Partner Violence
during Covid-19.” December 10, 2020. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2024046
186. Boserup, McKenney, and Elkbuli. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine. “Alarming trends in US domestic violence during
the COVID-19 pandemic.” April 28, 2020. https://www.ajemjournal.com/article/S0735-6757(20)30307-7/fulltext
187. Thirteen.org. “A Handful of States Fueled a National Increase in Domestic Violence Shooting Deaths as COVID-19 Spread.”
June 2, 2021. https://mcusercontent.com/c922c7933b72f97867304b913/files/08e2ef1b-ef4c-ebd0-45fb-7f51df544fdf/20210602_A_
Handful_of_States_Fueled_a_National_Increase_in_Domestic_Violence_Shooting_Deaths_as_COVID_19_Spread_PBS_Frontline_
Glaun.pdf
188. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Domestic violence during the COVID-19 crisis.” April 3, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/
covidapril3
189. Ibid.
190. Ibid.

Police also ensured that victims could obtain obtaining assistance for them. During the COVID-
protective orders despite court closures. 19 pandemic, however, children had less contact
with these mandatory reporters, and the contacts
• The Gloucester Township, NJ Police Depart-
that did occur were usually virtual.
ment helped victims obtain protective orders by
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s
facilitating remote hearings with judges using offi-
Office noted a 50% drop in domestic violence and
cers’ department-issued phones.191
child abuse complaints, a decrease it attributed
• The King County, WA Prosecuting Attorney’s mostly to children not having contacts with man-
Office made changes to ensure that domestic vio- datory reporters. To increase reporting, the District
lence victims would still have access to protection Attorney’s office partnered with the local grocers’
orders. Victims could request protection orders association to put flyers in grocery stores encourag-
from the court electronically, and the state leg- ing individuals to report domestic violence and child
islature passed an emergency provision to allow abuse.194
these orders to also be served electronically (with Some agencies also stepped up their outreach to
some exceptions if the order required the removal vulnerable children. For example, detectives from
of a firearm or an order to vacate). Victim advo- the Orlando, FL Police Department taught internet
cates from the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office also safety to children at summer camps after seeing an
worked with victims remotely.192 increase in internet crimes against children during
the pandemic.195
Protecting Vulnerable Children
During the Pandemic Responding to Individuals Experiencing
Homelessness During COVID-19
Concerns about abuse of children were heightened
during the pandemic, because children were more Individuals experiencing homelessness faced sig-
isolated in their homes and out of sight. With remote nificant hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic.
learning in place in many school districts, children Social distancing requirements reduced the capacity
spent more time on the internet, making them vul- of shelter facilities, and many homeless persons were
nerable to online sexual predators. In April 2020, the reluctant to stay in shelters because of fears about
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children COVID-19. And service providers had to adjust
received four times the number of child cyber abuse their operations in response to the pandemic, further
reports than it did in April 2019.193 limiting resources for individuals seeking shelter and
For many abused children, self-reporting their services. Another issue was that downtown business
abuse is not an option. For these children, manda- districts in many cities suddenly resembled ghost
tory reporters – persons who are required by law to towns, with offices, restaurants, and other businesses
report known or suspected cases of child abuse or closed, so homeless persons had fewer locations
neglect, such as teachers, coaches, and doctors – play where they could solicit assistance from the public.
a critical role in identifying abused children and
191. Ibid.
covidmay28
193. Los Angeles Times. “Online child sex abuse reports surge as kids spend more time on computers amid coronavirus.” May 21, 2020.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-21/child-sex-abuse-and-exploitation-surge-online-amid-pandemic-overwhelming-
police
covidmay28
195. WFTV.Com. “Orlando police teaching internet safety to children as internet crimes increase during pandemic.” June 29, 2021.
https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orange-county/orlando-police-teaching-internet-safety-children-internet-crimes-increase-during-
pandemic/VTY34DEEBVHQRBSGJB2NA4N3J4/

At the start of the pandemic, many police agen- In other departments, police personnel helped
cies used their homeless outreach teams to provide fill the gaps when health professionals were not avail-
assistance to these vulnerable populations.196 able. Los Angeles Police Department officers helped
• Officers in the San Francisco Police Depart- staff the city’s efforts to assist the 30,000+ unshel-
ment, along with other personnel assigned to tered individuals in the city. This involved using rec-
the Healthy Streets Operation Center run by the reation centers across the city as temporary shelters
Department of Homelessness and Department of and having officers assist in transporting individuals
Public Works, were named to a COVID-19 task to those facilities. LAPD officers were staffed at every
force, which conducted outreach to individuals in shelter, and others accompanied the buses transport-
encampments and educated them about COVID- ing individuals to the shelters. Officers also helped
19 and the importance of social distancing and screen individuals about their current health status
cleanliness. to ensure that potentially infected persons could be
quarantined and given medical attention. LAPD offi-
• The Tempe, AZ Police Department partnered
cers also participated in multi-disciplinary groups
with its Homeless Outreach Program (HOPE
that administered COVID-19 tests in the field, and
TEAM) to educate individuals experiencing
homelessness about COVID-19. The City of they provided “shelter-in-place kits” that included 14
Tempe also placed portable hand washing stations disposable masks, hand sanitizer, gloves, and a trash
in areas where homeless individuals congregate. bag.199
Further highlighting the vulnerability of indi-
Some police departments reevaluated their role viduals experiencing homelessness, the LAPD
in directly engaging with individuals experiencing reported a 41-percent increase in homicide victims
homelessness. who were homeless. They also reported an increase
• The Long Beach, CA Police Department and the in aggravated assaults against individuals experienc-
Seattle Police Department removed their offi- ing homelessness.200
cers from providing security at shelters, to protect
officers against possible COVID-19 exposure. (In Multi-Agency Collaboration
the early months of the pandemic, as the coro-
navirus swept through different cities and states, Throughout 2020 and into 2021, the pandemic
one of the biggest concerns for police agencies caused fundamental changes in the work of police
was about taking care to ensure that particular and sheriffs’ departments and stretched resources
units or even entire departments would not have thin. Many agencies relied on existing partnerships
to shut down because of COVID-19 infections or and created new ways of working with other law
quarantining.) 197 enforcement agencies, public health and social ser-
• The Miami Police Department temporarily sus- vice agencies, nonprofit organizations, and commu-
pended its homeless outreach operations at the nity partners.
start of the pandemic. But once the department With the potential for staffing shortages due to
created protocols on how to safely conduct this COVID-19, many agencies called upon their mutual
work, outreach continued. The outreach work aid agreements with neighboring public safety agen-
included distributing masks, offering services and cies to create a regional approach to the challenges.
shelter, and distributing other PPE to individuals
experiencing homelessness.198
196. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “The impact of COVID-19 on persons experiencing homelessness.” March 30, 2020.
197. Ibid.
198. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “The police response to homelessness during the pandemic.” December 7, 2020.
199. Ibid.
200. Ibid.

Coordinating a Regional Response to COVID-19 Coordinating Supplies and Resources
Early in the pandemic, policies and guidance from The start of the pandemic also highlighted the need
local, state, and federal governments and health offi- for coordination regarding supplies and resources.
cials changed rapidly. In Georgia, for example, the Because of the sudden spike in the need for face
governor had issued 38 COVID-19-related execu- masks, gloves, and other types of Personal Protective
tive orders by May 2020, and some police chiefs said Equipment, it was often difficult for anyone to obtain
that some of the orders were confusing to interpret, supplies, including police departments. Some agen-
and difficult to enforce.201 At times, the role of law cies had stockpiles of PPE and shared their resources
enforcement in enforcing the guidelines was unclear. with other departments. Some agencies worked
In Orange County, CA, the sheriff and county attor- together on searching for suppliers and acquiring
ney argued that the governor’s COVID-19 orders PPE. In Wisconsin, agencies organized the acquisi-
were unconstitutional. Local police departments, tion and distribution of PPE through local and state
like the Huntington Beach, CA Police Department, sheriffs’ and chiefs’ associations and shared inven-
were left to interpret competing guidance from local tory to ensure that agencies in need received PPE.205
and state governments.202 Accessing COVID-19 testing also proved diffi-
In an effort to create some consistency, some cult for some agencies early in the pandemic. Again,
agencies coordinated their response to COVID-19 agencies pooled resources to increase access to
guidelines with their neighboring jurisdictions. The COVID-19 and antibody testing in their regions. For
Pinellas County, FL Sheriff ’s Office served as a cen- example, the Jefferson County, CO Sheriff ’s Office
tral point of contact for police agencies in the county. purchased its own antibody test and set up a drive-
Local police agencies would follow the lead of the through clinic open to public safety officials in the
Sheriff ’s Office in responding to issues and in imple- region as well as other county employees.206
menting guidance. The Sheriff ’s Office also took the
lead in setting definitions for different orders, which Coordinating Staffing
all agencies in the county could adopt and commu-
nicate to their community.203 The San Diego County, The pandemic put a strain on agencies’ staffing levels.
CA Sheriff ’s Department, the San Diego Police Many agencies prepared for the possibility that they
Department, and other local agencies took a similar might lose a significant number of officers to sick-
approach in coordinating their messaging to ensure ness or exposure to COVID-19 at any given time. For
consistency.204 example, the Fort Walton Beach, FL Police Depart-
ment calculated the percentage of staff they needed
to be able to function on their own, without calling
in additional resources from surrounding agencies.
Many agencies adjusted their staffing schedules to
minimize the possibility of reaching such a critical
point.207
201. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Reopening businesses in Georgia and South Carolina.” May 5, 2020. https://www.policeforum.
org/covidmay5
202. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Challenges in California, Florida, and Texas beach towns.” May 6, 2020.
204. Ibid.
205. Ibid.
206. Ibid.
207. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Interviews with Florida chiefs and sheriffs.” March 27, 2020. https://www.policeforum.org/
covidmarch27

In order to ensure needed levels of staffing, Agencies met regularly with local health partners
agencies looked to mutual aid agreements and their throughout the pandemic to stay updated on the lat-
neighboring jurisdictions for assistance. est information about the virus and updated safety
guidance. From formal partnerships through emer-
• Jefferson County, CO Sheriff Jeff Shrader issued
gency operations centers (EOCs) and informal coor-
a Declaration of Deputization that deputized
dination efforts, police agencies maintained contact
all POST-certified officers in the county in good
with public health partners. For example, early in the
standing with their respective agencies as deputies
pandemic the Dane County, WI Sheriff ’s Office met
of the Sheriff ’s Office, with the intention of accel-
with the county public health agency on a daily basis.
erating any calls for mutual aid assistance.208
• In Illinois, police departments from the villages of
Data-Sharing During COVID-19
Riverside, McCook, Brookfield, and North Riv-
erside entered into a mutual aid agreement that Public health agencies readily shared information on
allowed officers to respond to calls in any of the the latest health guidelines and updates on the virus.
communities. Because the region already shared a However, some police agencies found that informa-
dispatch center, the process was made easier. Offi- tion about infected individuals within their jurisdic-
cers could be dispatched to calls in a neighboring tions was not as easily shared.
village if that town did not have an available offi- The U.S. Department of Health and Human
cer. Under this agreement, officers would not just Services Office for Civil Rights released guidance
respond to calls, but complete an entire investiga- permitting the protected health information of indi-
tion if needed. “We responded to everything from viduals infected with or exposed to COVID-19 to
routine calls in each other’s villages to criminal be shared with police, paramedics, and other first
cases and prosecutions, all the way through the responders in certain circumstances, including the
end of the case,” Riverside Police Chief Thomas following:
Weitzel said.209
• When first responders may be at risk of infec-
tion. For example, HIPAA permits a covered
Public Health Partnerships county health department, in accordance with a
state law, to disclose Protected Health Information
Although many police agencies have influenza pan-
(PHI) to a police officer or other person who may
demic plans, the virulent and unknown nature of
come into contact with a person who tested posi-
COVID-19 presented complex challenges unlike
tive for COVID-19, for purposes of preventing or
anything seen in the United States in more than a
controlling the spread of COVID-19.
century. Federal public health agencies provided
national guidance about how the coronavirus could • When responding to a request for PHI by a cor-
be transmitted, preventive measures, and the need rectional institution or law enforcement official
for lockdowns and other public health orders. But having lawful custody of an inmate or other
at the local level, as the pandemic spread through- individual, if the facility or official represents
out the United States, police and sheriffs’ depart- that the PHI is needed for:
ments relied upon their local public health agencies providing health care to the individual;
to provide updates about local conditions and public
health guidelines. the health and safety of the individual, other
inmates, officers, employees and others present
at the correctional institution…” 210
209. Chief Thomas Weitzel. “Historic Pact Between Neighboring Agencies Offers Aid During Global Pandemic.” Collaborative Reform
Initiative, U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/Publications/cops-w0938-
pub.pdf
210. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights. “COVID-19 and HIPAA: Disclosures to law enforcement,
paramedics, other first responders and public health authorities.” https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/covid-19-hipaa-and-first-
responders-508.pdf

However, the practice of sharing this informa- Vaccine Distribution
tion varied by jurisdiction and raised privacy con-
cerns in some states. Critics said that when people Public health partnerships also proved beneficial
receive COVID-19 tests and are assured that their as COVID-19 vaccines became available. Police
health information will remain private, but the infor- agencies were able to rely upon their public health
mation is later released to police, it could undermine partners to communicate information about the vac-
trust and have a chilling effect on people’s willingness cines, and in some cases help administer the vaccine
to receive COVID testing.211 at police facilities.
For police agencies, information on COVID-19 • The St. Mary’s County, MD Sheriff ’s Office hired
cases within their jurisdiction was seen as a needed a nurse at the start of the pandemic who was able
component of keeping their officers and deputies to provide educational materials to the agency on
safe. In Miami, the Police Department addressed the the vaccine and was seen as a trusted source of
privacy issue by asking the public health department information. The agency’s nurse and other health
for locations where people had tested positive for department personnel also administered the vac-
the coronavirus, not the people’s names. In that way, cine to members of the sheriff ’s office.214
police responding to a location could see whether
• The Cambridge, MA Police Department also
the location had large numbers of persons who had
relied upon its public health partners to distrib-
tested positive for the virus. But they wouldn’t know
ute the COVID vaccine to its personnel. The
the names of the people. “We don’t want to shame
department collaborated with the fire depart-
anyone for being ill, but it’s helpful to know the den-
ment, the public health department, and EMS,
sity of how many people are positive,” Police Chief
which provided information about the vaccine,
Jorge Colina said.212
how to distribute it, and how to achieve high vac-
In Volusia County, FL, Sheriff Mike Chitwood
cination rates. In a relatively short period of time,
expressed frustration in July 2020 when the Florida
the department was able to vaccinate 80% of its
Department of Health stopped providing addresses
personnel.215
of persons who had tested positive for COVID. The
Sheriff ’s Office had been posting updates on social
media abut COVID hot spots in the county, so
residents could be aware of higher-risk areas. The
Department of Health quickly announced that it
would resume providing the information.213
211. Associated Press. “COVID-19 data sharing with law enforcement sparks concern.” May 19, 2020. https://apnews.com/article/
nv-state-wire-nd-state-wire-co-state-wire-nh-state-wire-public-health-ab4cbfb5575671c5630c2442bc3ca75e
212. PERF Daily COVID-19 Report, “Protecting elderly persons, and Miami PD heat maps.” April 9, 2020. https://www.policeforum.
org/covidapril9
213. ClickOrlando.com. “Health officials reverse decision after Volusia Sheriff expresses frustration in COVID-19 data sharing.” July 9,
2020. https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2020/07/09/health-officials-reverse-decision-after-volusia-sheriff-expresses-
frustration-in-covid-19-data-sharing/
coviddec29
215. PERF Virtual Town Hall. “Answering Your Questions about COVID-19 Vaccines.” https://www.policeforum.org/covid18feb21

Conclusion
For most people living in the year 2021, Police as COVID-19 Humanitarians
the COVID-19 pandemic has been the biggest
In many ways, the policing profession not only rose
national crisis they have seen. The 9/11 attacks are
to the challenge of the pandemic, it found ways of
often seen as a yardstick for comparing the sheer
going beyond the basics. Police demonstrated com-
awfulness of catastrophes, but between March 2020
passion and provided real help to those who were
and December 2021, the pandemic on average killed
being hurt the hardest by COVID-19:
more than 1,230 people per day, just in the United
States. For the United States, in terms of casualties, • Police got out their lists of addresses of elderly peo-
the pandemic has been like another 9/11 attack ple living alone, and checked on them to see if they
occurring every few days, for almost two years. needed help getting groceries or prescriptions.
Around the world, the pandemic has challenged • Police realized that people experiencing homeless-
the very nature of policing. It has tested the ability ness were especially vulnerable, because they con-
of police officers and police leaders to be problem- sidered homeless shelters too risky for COVID. So
solvers. To risk their lives. To be creative. To lead. To police made it their business to reach out to people
communicate. And to find ways to be resilient. in homeless camps and provide them with masks
COVID-19 also has tested the police profession’s and other assistance.
stamina. In the very early days, police chiefs often
told PERF that it was difficult to plan certain changes • Police immediately realized that victims of domes-
in operations, because they didn’t know whether the tic violence would become more vulnerable due to
changes would continue for a few weeks, or a few COVID, and worked to make themselves more
months, or God forbid, a year. No one wanted to available to those who needed help.
contemplate the possibility of COVID lasting mul- • And, even with the risk of exposure to a highly
tiple years. But that is where we are at this writing. contagious and deadly virus, police officers and
And as the police executives and their officers sheriffs’ deputies continued to respond to calls for
scrambled to create new protocols for how they service, investigate crimes, and work with other
would perform every part of their jobs to account agencies and residents to help keep communities
for COVID-19, they didn’t know they would face safe.
additional challenges in 2020. The killing of George
Floyd, and the hundreds of demonstrations and
riots that followed. And the violent crime wave that
emerged in the fall.
64 — Conclusion
Responses Have Changed In some ways, the pandemic may bring perma-
As the Pandemic Drags On nent changes to policing, just as it is doing in other
professions. To reduce COVID infections, some
The pandemic continued so long that some of the agencies were able to allow professional staff mem-
early responses were quickly overtaken by events. In bers, detectives, and certain other employees to work
the early months, some police departments created from home. In departments where that occurred
“heat maps,” depicting the locations in their cities without problems, that may continue after COVID.
with high concentrations of people who had tested And the use of online and telephone reporting sys-
positive for COVID. It didn’t take long for the heat tems for many property offenses is likely to continue,
maps to show that almost all locations had large as is the use of technology to engage more residents
numbers of infections. in community meetings, surveys, and other types of
In other cases, people’s views have changed outreach.
about actions that were taken to reduce the spread But policing is mostly an in-person occupation
of COVID. In the spring of 2020, some police chiefs with a great deal of public contact, and that will not
and sheriffs were working to send fewer low-level change.
offenders to jail, or to release jail inmates early, in
order to provide some “breathing space” at crowded
jails and allow for social distancing. Unfortunately, “As We Go to Print….”
inmates who were released into the pandemic were Hopefully, in coming months, the pandemic will
not always given the range of social services they evolve into a lower-level “endemic” status or dis-
normally would receive, to help them find employ- appear almost entirely, and police will continue to
ment and avoid returning to criminal activity. And adjust to changes. As courts resume trials, police
in many jurisdictions, courts had to essentially shut will step up their work with prosecutors. Hopefully,
down, because it was impossible to convene juries as vaccination rates increase, police will resume a
during the pandemic, and defendants saw little rea- wide range of in-person community activities. And
son to plead guilty to a crime if there was no threat of law enforcement agencies will expand wellness pro-
a trial occurring. gramming to help their officers and professional staff
So today, a number of police chiefs are saying members manage the high levels of stress in policing,
that the sharp increases in crime in 2020-21 are due especially during an extended period of crisis.
in part to a lack of sanctions for offenders. Despite all of the changes occurring simultane-
Another issue that is evolving is the question of ously over the past two years, the story of policing
vaccine mandates. When the COVID vaccines first during the pandemic in many ways is a story of
became available in December 2020, PERF surveyed overcoming obstacles. There have been no news sto-
its members and found that very few police chiefs ries about the collapse of police agencies due to the
were considering imposing any requirement that pandemic. Police managed to avoid mass outbreaks
officers receive a vaccination. They believed that of COVID infections and sharp reductions in staff-
most of their personnel would want to be vaccinated, ing. Critical services such as 9-1-1 response were
and they could work to provide information to those maintained.
who were hesitant. This was not a result of good luck, but rather of
But by the summer of 2021, as another major smart planning and fast action to prevent the spread
national wave of infections and deaths occurred and of the virus through police departments. Time and
vaccination rates stagnated, police chiefs increas- time again, police chiefs and sheriffs have been cre-
ingly supported vaccination mandates imposed by ative and nimble in how they have responded to the
their mayors or governors. In some cases, chiefs COVID-19 pandemic.
required vaccinations on their own authority. The challenge for police and sheriffs’ departments
Conclusion — 65
going forward is to maintain their readiness and similar to COVID-19 occurring, so it’s fairly likely
improve their skills in handling this type of public that young people today may experience another
health crisis. pandemic as bad as COVID.216 If that occurs, this
In 2007, PERF produced a report about police publication may serve as a blueprint showing how
planning for a pandemic, and 13 years later, it hap- America’s police agencies stepped up, and the con-
pened. A new Duke University study suggests that tinuing challenges they faced.
there’s about a 2% chance every year of a pandemic
216. EurekAlert! “Statistics say large pandemics are more likely than we thought.” August 23, 2021. https://www.eurekalert.org/
news-releases/926011
66 — Conclusion
About the Police Executive
Research Forum
The Police Executive Research Forum management studies of individual law enforcement
(PERF) is an independent research organization agencies; educates hundreds of police officials each
that focuses on critical issues in policing. Since its year in the Senior Management Institute for Police,
founding in 1976, PERF has identified best practices a three-week executive development program; and
on fundamental issues such as reducing police use provides executive search services to governments
of force; developing community policing and prob- that wish to conduct national searches for their next
lem-oriented policing; using technologies to deliver police chief.
police services to the community; and developing All of PERF’s work benefits from PERF’s status
and assessing crime reduction strategies. as a membership organization of police officials,
PERF strives to advance professionalism in who share information and open their agencies to
policing and to improve the delivery of police ser- research and study. PERF members also include aca-
vices through the exercise of strong national lead- demics, federal government leaders, and others with
ership; public debate of police and criminal justice an interest in policing and criminal justice.
issues; and research and policy development. All PERF members must have a four-year college
The nature of PERF’s work can be seen in degree and must subscribe to a set of founding prin-
the reports PERF has published over the years. ciples, emphasizing the importance of research and
Most of these reports are available without charge public debate in policing, adherence to the Constitu-
online at http://www.policeforum.org/free-online- tion and the highest standards of ethics and integrity,
documents. All of the titles in the Critical Issues in and accountability to the communities that police
Policing series can be found on the back cover of agencies serve.
this report and on the PERF website at https://www. PERF is governed by a member-elected Presi-
policeforum.org/critical-issues-series. dent and Board of Directors and a Board-appointed
In addition to conducting research and pub- Executive Director.
lishing reports on our findings, PERF conducts
To learn more about PERF, visit www.policeforum.org.
About the Police Executive Research Forum — 67

About the Motorola Solutions Foundation
As the charitable and philanthropic arm of Motorola supports organizations that offer first responder
Solutions, the Motorola Solutions Foundation part- programming and technology and engineering
ners with organizations around the globe to create education, and align to our values of accountabil-
safer cities and equitable, thriving communities. ity, innovation, impact, diversity and inclusion. The
We focus on giving back through strategic grants, Foundation is one of the many ways in which the
employee volunteerism and other community company lives out its purpose of helping people be
investment initiatives. Our strategic grants program their best in the moments that matter.
For more information on the Foundation, visit:

www.motorolasolutions.com/foundation
68 — About the Motorola Solutions Foundation

Municipal and Campus Police: New Challenges for Police: A Heroin Violent Crime and the Economic Crisis:
Strategies for Working Together Epidemic and Changing Attitudes Toward Police Chiefs Face a New Challenge –
During Turbulent Times Marijuana PART II
How Local Police Can Combat the The Role of Local Law Enforcement Violent Crime in America: What We Know
Global Problem of Human Trafficking: Agencies in Preventing and Investigating About Hot Spots Enforcement
Collaboration, Training, Support for Cybercrime
Victims, and Technology Are Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Speak Out on
Keys to Success The Police Response to Active Shooter Local Immigration Enforcement
Incidents
An Occupational Risk: What Every Police Violent Crime in America: “A Tale of Two
Agency Should Do to Prevent Suicide Civil Rights Investigations of Cities”
Among Its Officers Local Police: Lessons Learned
Police Planning for an Influenza Pandemic:
Chapter 2: How Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Policing and the Economic Downturn: Case Studies and Recommendations from
Are Finding Meaning and Purpose in the Striving for Efficiency Is the New Normal the Field
Next Stage of Their Careers
An Integrated Approach to De-Escalation Strategies for Resolving Conflict
Reducing Gun Violence: What Works, and and Minimizing Use of Force and Minimizing Use of Force
What Can Be Done Now
Improving the Police Response to Sexual Patrol-Level Response to a
Promoting Excellence in First-Line Assault Suicide Bomb Threat:
Supervision: New Approaches to Selection, Guidelines for Consideration
How Are Innovations in Technology
Training, and Leadership Development
Transforming Policing? Violent Crime in America:
The Police Response to Homelessness 24 Months of Alarming Trends
Labor-Management Relations in Policing:
The Changing Nature of Crime and Looking to the Future and Finding A Gathering Storm—
Criminal Investigations Common Ground Violent Crime in America
The Revolution in Emergency Managing Major Events: Best Practices Police Management of
Communications from the Field Mass Demonstrations
ICAT: Integrating Communications, Is the Economic Downturn Fundamentally Exploring the Challenges of
Assessment, and Tactics Changing How We Police? Police Use of Force
Guiding Principles on Use of Force Guns and Crime: Breaking New Ground By Challenge to Change:
Focusing on the Local Impact The 21st Century Policing Project
Advice from Police Chiefs and Community
Leaders on Building Trust: “Ask for Help, Gang Violence: The Police Role in
Work Together, and Show Respect” Developing Community-Wide Solutions
Re-Engineering Training on Violent Crime and the Economic Crisis:

Police Use of Force Police Chiefs Face a New Challenge –
PART I
Defining Moments for Police Chiefs
We are grateful to the

Motorola Solutions Foundation
for its support of the
Critical Issues in Policing Series
Police Executive Research Forum

1120 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 930
Washington, DC 20036
202-466-7820
www.PoliceForum.org

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CRITICAL ISSUES IN POLICING SERIES

Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic:

Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic:

Police Executive Research Forum, Washington, D.C. 20036

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

Graphic design by Dave Williams.

Message from PERF Executive Director Chuck Wexler — 1

2 — Message from PERF Executive Director Chuck Wexler

Message from PERF Executive Director Chuck Wexler — 3

2020 • Tuesday, April 14: Police use of masks

4 — PERF Daily COVID Reports

PERF Daily COVID Reports — 5

6 — PERF Daily COVID Reports

1. PERF Daily COVID-19 Reports. https://www.policeforum.org/covid-19-response

Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19 — 13

14 — Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19

Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19 — 15

16 — Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19

Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19 — 17

18 — Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19

Other agencies used technology platforms to participation in community meetings, volunteer

Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19 — 19

20 — Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19

Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19 — 21

22 — Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19

Police agencies also proactively worked to edu-

Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19 — 23

24 — Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19

• The Miami-Dade, FL Police Department focused Community Engagement

Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19 — 25

Some agencies adjusted their usual commu-

26 — Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19

Salisbury, MD Police Reached Out to

Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19 — 27

28 — Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19

Utilizing Technology high level of security as those using computers and

Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19 — 29

30 — Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19

Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19 — 31

Impact on Recruiting and Hiring

32 — Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19

Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19 — 33

34 — Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19

Chapter 1: How Internal Police Operations Changed During COVID-19 — 35

36 — Chapter 2: Officer Safety and Wellness During COVID-19

Implementing Safety Protocols Police Department checked temperatures as indi-

Chapter 2: Officer Safety and Wellness During COVID-19 — 37

Safety Protocols Were Similar Around the World

38 — Chapter 2: Officer Safety and Wellness During COVID-19

Chapter 2: Officer Safety and Wellness During COVID-19 — 39

40 — Chapter 2: Officer Safety and Wellness During COVID-19

Chapter 2: Officer Safety and Wellness During COVID-19 — 41

42 — Chapter 2: Officer Safety and Wellness During COVID-19

Chapter 2: Officer Safety and Wellness During COVID-19 — 43

44 — Chapter 2: Officer Safety and Wellness During COVID-19

Chapter 2: Officer Safety and Wellness During COVID-19 — 45

46 — Chapter 2: Officer Safety and Wellness During COVID-19

Vaccinations of Professional Staff Members