The chief of police in Chatham-Kent is very proud of the way his men and women have so far handled the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chief Gary Conn said he would give his police service an 11 out of 10 for the way it has performed over the past six months. Conn said eight officers have been exposed to COVID-19 since mid-March but all of them tested negative. Conn said his officers and staff have so far passed the test with flying colours. Conn also commends the community for being cooperative and respectful so far during the pandemic.
"Really stepped up, they've done an exceptional job. It's not only challenging but there's also that element of stress as a result of it. The unknown, I dealt with a person who has COVID and do I now have COVID," said Conn. "It's a challenge for everybody and we want to ensure that everybody is knowledgeable and cognizant of the law. So, we educate, we warn as opposed to just right away enforce and provide sanctions and that to date anyway has seemed to work well."
Conn said he doesn't want to jinx his officers but the current pandemic just reinforced what he already knew -- that his officers can quickly adapt to overcome any situation.
"Our profession is constantly evolving. With the change of statutes, regulations, and standards, officers have to be able to adapt and they have to be able to adapt quickly and I think that's one the reasons we were so successful," he added.
Chief Conn said the Chatham-Kent Police Services immediately implemented new safety protocols and policies on responding to calls at the start of the pandemic in mid-March and they have paid off handsomely.