Working together to stop the spread of coronavirus and keep first responders healthy

Everybody is feeling the effects of the social distancing efforts needed to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. For the next two to four weeks (or however long health officials recommend), we all have to make personal sacrifices for the good of the whole. Maybe you’re not at great risk for serious effects of the virus, but I bet you have a loved one who is. What would you do to protect that loved one? Now is the time to think about what you can do for others, not just how it may affect you. We all need to act in that manner to protect everybody else’s loved ones.

We all have to work together to stop the spread so our healthcare system has room to treat the sickest patients. This teamwork is not unlike what we all must do to stop violent crime in our community. With a little bit of prevention, we could all really change the course of a pandemic. Kansas City has a strong history of coming together to handle all types of situations: from deployment and food rationing during World Wars, to acts of mother nature that have torn our city apart, we come together to accomplish what is necessary. Our calling now is to stop the spread of this virus while taking care of those who get ill. As of today, health officials are urging us to refrain from gatherings with 10 or more people.

Of course, we have to look out for the well-being of our own employees, as well. Police and other first responders must remain as healthy as possible and available to serve our community. In the future, we may need to make adjustments in our deployment or methods of gathering report information, but rest assured that any priority in this city will be handled.

This situation has been taxing on all of us. The police department has had to make decisions that frankly have not been considered during my 32 years of service. This police department has worked tirelessly to build relationships in this city and to suspend activities that go to our core mission in building these relationships come with much thought, and frankly it is extremely difficult to suspend activities that we cherish. So far, we have:

- Suspended all community events and meetings in police facilities, from free tax preparation to neighborhood meetings to the Citizens Police Academy.
- Canceled ride-alongs.
- Encouraged officers to practice good hygiene, not shake hands and meet in open areas and/or on porches if possible.

If you have possible COVID-19 symptoms and need to call for help, please advise 911 call-takers of your illness so first responders can be prepared when coming into contact with you.

Please look for updates here, on our web site and our social media, which is where we will notify you of any practices we are changing to keep our workforce healthy and ready to help Kansas City get through whatever happens in these unprecedented times. When we all work together, we are safer and stronger.

Send comments to: kcpdchiefblog@kcpd.org.