DETROIT (WXYZ) — The number of Detroit Police Officers who have tested positive for COVID-19 and who are now in quarantine continues to increase.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig told 7 Action News Monday afternoon there are now 283 officers in quarantine and nine who have tested positive for the virus.
The message from Police Chief James Craig is that even though some police officers are off because they are sick with COVID-19 and others quarantined just in case, the city is able to maintain response times and protect and serve. The number of police officers sick and quarantined has continued to increase since last week.
“We just had recently, over the weekend, officers went to a call for service, a domestic violence situation where an arrest was made and during the arrest situation, a person admitted he was positive for COVID-19, so clearly that had an impact on at least three of the officers who had contact with this person,” said Chief Craig.
Many Detroiters are asking: Can police still protect us with hundreds of officers quarantined some sick due to the virus?
Police Chief James Craig says it helps that as more people stay home, there has been a slight decrease in priority one calls. Plus, residents have helped by calling the telephone crime reporting unit for non-emergency situations at 313-267-4600.
He says the department has not had to call on Michigan State Police for assistance. The police force of more than two thousand is still maintaining response times and policing the city.
But what if more are exposed? The chief says as some of the officers are tested and found to not have the virus after all they will be able to return to the job.
"We are not taken any chances. We are going to make sure they are quarantined and get them tested. Our goal is we want to limit the impact to our other first responders,” said the chief.
“By Saturday we should have 150 cleared to come back to work. So that is some good news. There has been no disruption to our services,” he said.
The police chief says he hopes anyone who thinks they are invincible to this virus still, takes a look at what is happening at the police department and around the world. If they don’t have something considered essential to do, stay home.
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