New York City (Reuters) – When nine police officers showed up to make an arrest near Melrose Opportunity in the Bronx last Wednesday, none used a mask or gloves to protect them from coronavirus.
Members of the New York City Cops Department work throughout the outbreak of the coronavirus illness (COVID-19) in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., March 30,2020 REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
Comparable scenes play out all over the city daily: officers making arrests, strolling their beats and reacting to 911 calls without protective equipment, according to interviews with nearly two lots New york city City officers and scenes experienced by Reuters.
As of Sunday, 818 members of the country’s most significant police force had tested favorable for coronavirus, including 730 uniformed officers and 88 civilian staffers, according to NYPD. The department said about 5,000 of its 55,000 total employees are on sick leave.
Major city departments nationwide, such as Houston and Detroit, are being forced to sideline officers as infections rise in the ranks, according to a Reuters study of the nation’s 20 largest U.S. police firms conducted in between March 25 and March29 The police firms have confirmed 1,012 cases of COVID-19 among officers or civilian personnel, according to the survey and a Reuters evaluation of the departments’ public statements.
The pandemic has diminished police forces already strained by staffing scarcities. Many departments have actually informed officers to restrict their interactions with the general public and keep social distancing. Some agencies are re-assigning detectives and administrative staff to assist respond to emergency situations as more patrol officers get ill, which requires pulling the private investigators away from significant cases.
” There’s a lot of triaging going on,” stated Chuck Wexler, executive director of the Cops Executive Research Study Forum, a think tank that encourages cops on policy issues. “Many departments are having to re-order priorities and the calls they react to. Authorities are needing to reshuffle how they utilize their resources.”
NYPD might deal with the greatest challenge because of the seriousness of the city’s outbreak: Of the 2,477 deaths reported across the country as of Monday, 678 can be found in New york city City.
The officers interviewed by Reuters said shortages of gear leave them vulnerable and that they fear spreading the infection to their families and the public.
” We appear first, to whatever, and we are totally unprotected,” stated one officer in the 33 rd precinct.
All of the New York officers interviewed by Reuters spoke on condition of privacy. They say the department prohibits them from speaking to reporters.
Sergeant Jessica McRorie, an NYPD spok