PPD implements COVID-19 measures

PRESCOTT – According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), social distancing is believed to be one of the most effective methods of preventing the spread of COVID-19. In an effort to prevent the introduction and/or the spread of the virus, and to ensure the safety of our community and our employees, the Prescott Police Department is following CDC guidelines, and we have implemented the following temporary plan:

• Effective immediately, many non-violent criminal reports will only be taken by telephone. These reports include, but are not limited to: criminal mischief, theft, harassing communications, illegal dumping, littering, lost property, identity theft, computer/phone/mail scams, and delayed assault, battery, burglary and breaking or entering reports.

Reports can be made with a live Prescott Police Department employee at: 870-887-6779 from 8am to 4pm Mon through Fri. After hours, contact The Nevada County Dispatch Center at 870-887-2616 Option 1 in order to receive a police response by phone.

• Our Central Dispatch Center is asking more questions to collect a wider range of information from callers to better prepare officers who are responding to calls. This is being done so officers can take more proactive steps; it will not affect officers’ response to calls for service.
• Officers may ask community members to meet them outside of homes and businesses where appropriate in order to practice social distancing.
• Officers have been issued personal protective equipment, and they may be seen wearing gloves, face masks, protective eyewear and clothing. This is especially true in medical testing environments and/or in environments known to have increased risk of illness. Officers may ask community members to wear surgical face masks if they are showing signs of illness.
• The Prescott Police Department attempts to utilize alternatives to arrest when possible, and we are working with the Nevada County Sheriff’s Office to screen arrestees and employees who may be entering the detention center facilities. This is to reduce the risk of introducing and/or spreading the virus in the detention center environment.
• The PPD are regularly sanitizing our facilities and our vehicles in an attempt to keep our employees and citizens safe.

The PPD will continue to be a 24-hour, full-service police department, and will always be here to serve the public. Our quality of service and professionalism will continue at the highest level, and only the manner in which we conduct business will change temporarily as we utilize social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19. We are committed to protecting the health and well-being of the public and our officers and to taking every possible step to ensure we are not unknowingly spreading the virus to vulnerable populations by the very nature of our job, said Joey Beavers, Prescott Police Chief.