Coronavirus Cheshire: Police Announce Changes To Services

CHESHIRE, CT — The Cheshire Police Department announces several changes to services as a way to protect residents and police employees from the spread of the new coronavirus. Read more from the Cheshire Police Department below:

➢ Effective immediately, Cheshire residents and business owners who require police investigations for some crimes for which they have no witness and/or suspect information should call CPD at 203-271-5500, or 9-1-1 in the case of an emergency. The call will be evaluated and you may be contacted by telephone. Officers will gather the appropriate information and issue a case number over the phone. In non-emergency situations, please do not come to the police department so person-to-person contact is avoided.

➢ The Cheshire Police Department is requesting that anyone needing to be fingerprinted for a discretionary reason consider delaying. Fingerprinting requires physical contact between a police officer and the person being fingerprinted. It is exactly the type of interaction that should be avoided.

Fingerprinting will be conducted on Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and only by appointment. Please call 203-271-5500 to arrange an appointment.

➢ The Cheshire Police Department will waive fees associated with obtaining police reports for individuals who contact the Records Division by phone and allow the record to be mailed or emailed. The Records Division phone number is 203-271-5510. The records window has been closed; even if you come to the police department you will be required to call 203-271-5510 to speak with an employee in order to avoid direct person-to-person contact.

➢ When police officers respond to your home to investigate an incident, you may be asked to step outside to speak with the officer. This will allow you and the officer to maintain “social distancing” while an investigation is conducted. Officers, and all Town employees, have been discouraged from shaking hands or having any unnecessary physical contact with others. This is in no way a sign of disrespect; it is solely a measure intended to protect everyone’s health and safety.

The Cheshire Police Department will continue to respond to emergencies and crimes in progress. Although we are trying to minimize unnecessary person-to-person contact, police officers and other first responders will not be able to completely avoid such contact and may be exposed to people who they do not know. This includes responding to medical calls where we are exposed to people who are sick. Although we have changed police response to medical calls that do not require immediate life saving measures, Emergency Medical personnel do not have that option. The guidance defined here is intended to minimize direct person-to-person contact to safeguard people who need emergency services as well as our police officers and other employees.

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