TRUCKEE, CA March 16, 2020 – It is our absolute priority to provide sustained public safety services as we deal with COVID-19 as a community. Our officers are dedicated more than ever to being ready and able to help. To protect everyone, there might be situations where we make requests that are out of the ordinary.
Effective immediately, the Truckee Police Department will implement measures to limit NON-ESSENTIAL in-person contact. For the protection of both the community, our first responder employees, and their families from COVID-19 we are modifying our response to certain calls for service on a case by case basis.
Until the spread of COVID-19 has smoothed, officers will attempt to handle non-emergency calls for service by phone. Officers might request to speak with community members at distances of 6 to 8 feet and/or in the open air. Officers might be wearing protective masks and other personal protection equipment. All of this is being done to ensure we don’t inadvertently expose someone in our community and to make sure we stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible.
There have been no changes to our staffing, officers will still be deployed at maximum levels and respond to emergency calls for service. We are asking for the community’s understanding and assistance with limiting in-person contact as much as possible by allowing officers to obtain information needed for investigations by phone or through email. Officers will continue to gather evidence from serious crime scenes and make arrests as needed.
These are unprecedented times. We are committed to being patient, understanding and as transparent as we possibly can.