VICTORIA -- Police departments and RCMP detachments across Vancouver Island and the province are taking steps to avoid spreading COVID-19 while still being able to respond to emergency situations, according to B.C. RCMP.
If they are helping someone in distress or making an arrest, for most police officers, social distancing during a pandemic is not an option.
Police agencies on Vancouver Island recognize the risks of coming into contact with someone who may be infected with the COVID-19, and are constantly revaluating protocols in response to the needs of keeping the public safe.
“We’re telling members to take the necessary precautions if they need time and distance to stay away from people,” said BC RCMP Cpl. Chris Manseau.
“A little bit more distance is going to make a lot of difference.”
Protective gloves and masks have also been delivered to all RCMP detachments on Vancouver Island.
“Our officers are very well trained on how to use their personal protective equipment so we know what precautions to take,” said Manseau.
Meanwhile, police are asking the public to advise officers if they are sick before or after an incident takes place, if possible.
“What we are telling people is that if you are sick you can still call police and we will show up, but please tell us if you are sick so our members can take those necessary precautions ahead of time before they show up,” said Manseau.
Police also note that when they leave a scene where a sick person has been present, they are taking steps to not risk infecting people at the next incident that they are attending.
With more cases of COVID-19 being reported in B.C., it is highly likely that police officers will come into contact with someone who is infected with the virus, said Manseau. If a police officer finds out after the fact that they have made contact with an infected person, they will immediately self-isolate and take the necessary precautions.
“They want to make sure they are safe, their family is safe, their coworkers are safe and that the public is safe,” said Manseau. “If you have come into contact with the police and you find out you are in fact coming down with something, please let that police agency know.”
Manseau said that police officers always have a heightened sense of awareness when dealing with communicable diseases due to the nature of the job. He said they are trained to be aware of different precautions in all situations.
“In our training we do pay attention to these types of crises and we are following everything the provincial government is telling us and taking all precautions that are necessary,” said Manseau.
“We are erring on the side of caution.”
Police departments across the island are also taking steps in other ways to minimize the transmission of COVID-19. The Victoria police department is limiting public access to its headquarters building, for example. People who would normally make a report on a file at the front desk are now being directed to call VicPD’s non-emergency line.
Meanwhile, some RCMP locations on Vancouver Island, such as the Comox Valley detachment, are suspending fingerprint services for non-criminal matters. People who need to be fingerprinted for employment, immigration, cannabis licensing or volunteer services will have to wait until the risk of transition of the virus is at a safe level.
VicPD says that it has also postponed its “Project Downtown Connect” until further notice. The program was intended to increase police visibility and engagement in the downtown core. Victoria police hope to restart the program in the future.
