The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office has implemented some changes in the way the deputies respond to calls during the COVID-19 outbreak.
As of last week, CCSO stopped sending deputies out to take reports for lost property and minor property damage, said the Office’s Public Information Officer, Claudette Bennett.
“We are trying to eliminate the exposure and the spread of this virus,” Bennett said.
According to Bennett, CCSO will have clerks available to make reports for non-emergency calls by phone. CCSO plans to use their District 3 office to take those calls in an effort to free up the lines in their call center.
Bennett also said the department is encouraging people to self-report minor car accidents on the Florida Highway Safety website.
“If [a car accident] is a DUI, a hit and run, if there’s injuries, if it’s with commercial vehicles, a deputy must respond,” Bennett said.
Bennett also said the Sheriff’s Office is asking people who contact the call center to notify the department if they are experiencing symptoms associated with COVID-19.
“It’s not that we are not responding, we just need to know what precautions to take when responding,” Bennett said.
