Coronavirus And Police: New World In Hartford/Tolland Counties

HARTFORD/TOLLAND COUNTIES, CT — Police in Hartford and Tolland counties have been operating in a whole new world since restrictions were laid out amid the coronavirus pandemic, including fewer calls in some areas, more in others and a heightened awareness of safety and health.

"It's definitely a different world out there right now," Lt. William Meier of the Vernon Police Department said. "We're adjusting to it every day."

Municipal and state police each seem to tally their statistics differently, but calls seem to be down when comparing March 2019 to March 2020.

Enfield tabulates quarterly, and calls for service dropped from 8,883 to 8,677 year-to-year, which is a reduction in activity of approximately 1 percent, chief Alaric Fox said.

In Vernon, the number of calls dropped from 1,731 to 1,228 for March 2019 and March 2020, respectively. All calls to dispatchers in South Windsor are down about 600 comparatively. Southington police post their arrest logs on Facebook several times a month and the amount of arrests was noticeably lighter.

"There are fewer people out ... that's for sure," said Sgt. Mark Cleverdon of the South Windsor Police Department.

Drunken driving incidents seem to be flat. Vernon had 15 for March 2019 and 13 this year in March. Enfield had 39 over a three-month period both this year and last.

Do folks being stuck in their homes make a difference?

"The increased areas of activity are larcenies, domestic violence, disorderly conducts, criminal mischiefs, welfare checks, burglaries and then a miscellaneous category of 'all other criminal offenses,'" Fox said. "Some of these have the potential to be stay-at-home-related. Others are more likely just the typical ebb and flow that each quarter produces."

Vernon has had nine more domestic calls in March 2020 than it did the previous March. Meier called the difference noticeable.

Crashes were down by 14 in Vernon and by six in South Windsor. The big difference, though, has been a notorious, hilly stretch of Interstate-84 between Exit 67 in Vernon and 69 in Tolland. There has not been a major truck crash in about six weeks.

"I don't want to jinx anything but we haven't," Tolland emergency management director and public safety supervisor John Littell said at the end of March. Littell said there are a lot fewer trucks on the road since pandemic restrictions were implemented and drivers seem to be traveling with more caution.

Visits to area police stations — both routine and because of arrests — have taken on a whole new life amid coronavirus concerns.

State police require all visitors to wear a facial mask. Southington police have signs advising people to call from outside unless it's an emergency. Enfield PD has a similar sign.

(Tim Jensen/Patch)

Vernon police have been as creative as anyone. A sign greets visitors in the lobby making them stop and read. They are then directed to the community room to the left, where an enclosed chamber awaits that sort of looks like a hockey penalty box. An officer then talks to visitors through the glass, which has a slot to exchange paperwork.

A public works crew built it.

Vernon also has an officer dedicated working the phones with fewer lobby visits.

All departments are encouraging records requests by e-mail.

"It's something I think we're all getting used to," Meier said. "The strange thing is, we don't know how long it will last. So we keep adjusting and trying to serve the public safely."