MONROE — In response to the new coronavirus pandemic, local law enforcement and courts are changing procedures to limit social contact and risk of exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19.

In short, do more by phone and less in person.

That’s a challenge for public services like police that depend on contact with the public. 

In emergency situations or in response to crimes in progress, “we’ll try to maintain a six-foot distance. But we can’t not respond,” said Monroe Chief of Police Fred Kelley. For non-emergency police needs, like a neighbor dispute or report of online harassment, Kelley said his officers when possible will interview involved parties by phone or through the glass in the police department lobby. Officers may also respond wearing gloves and a mask, he said, but “we can’t necessarily get encapsulated with air packs.”

Kelley worries about the impact of exposure on the department.

If two officers working together on a call are potentially exposed to the virus and have to self-quarantine for 14 days, Kelley said, “then I’ve lost two officers.” If those two officers in turn expose coworkers, the department could quickly become even more short-staffed.

There were no reported cases of COVID-19 in Green or Lafayette County and 155 cases statewide as of Thursday, March 19, up from just seven cases statewide one week earlier, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

‘In-person’ court suspended

At the Green County Justice Center in Monroe, the county’s two judges, James Beer and Thomas Vale, suspended jury trials “until further notice” as part of a pandemic policy they signed Monday, March 16.

Then, three days later, the circuit court released an emergency notice suspending all in-person court proceedings.

While the Justice Center remained open as of Thursday, March 19, the Clerk of Courts office had locked its doors to the public and is no longer accepting cash payments. Visitors can drop off documents on a table in the hallway outside the office.

“We’re trying to keep business going as well as we can while keeping people safe,” Deputy Clerk of Courts Carolyn Page said.

Clerk Barbara Miller said the situation is changing day to day.

“I don’t think it’s going to come to closing the building, but I don’t know,” Miller said. “It’s unknown because this has never happened ... I’m changing my website right now, and I swear it changes daily if not hourly.”

Circuit courts across the state are adopting similar provisions to minimize spread of the coronavirus. Lafayette County Circuit Court remains open, but jury trials scheduled before April 17 are being postponed.

Jail work release, visitation suspended

At the Green County Jail, Huber work release has been suspended until at least April 1. Outside jail programming that requires close personal contact, such as chaplain visits, AA visits and Bible study, are also suspended.

“Regretfully we need to suspend those helpful programs for our inmates,” said Sheriff Jeff Skatrud. “The good part is nobody is coming and going anymore.”

The Green County Jail doesn’t have face-to-face visitation with inmates under normal circumstances, so visits will remain the same through a free video monitor in the jail lobby.

Some jails around the country are releasing nonviolent, low-level inmates in response to COVID-19 worries, but Skatrud said locally this is “not on the radar.”

“We’re not opening the gates yet and I don’t foresee us doing that,” he said. However, “we’re trying to limit incoming (inmates).”

For example, people charged with nonviolent offenses may get referred to the District Attorney’s Office instead of being held on bond at the jail. Another way to limit the jail population is to put as many inmates as possible on electronic monitoring at home, but Skatrud said the equipment required for this is on backorder so “it’s a moot point for the time being.” 

As of Thursday morning, March 19, the Green County Jail had 31 inmates, Skatrud said. Of these, 13 are housed in the separate Huber work release dorm.

When they arrive at work, jail deputies are now taking their temperature before beginning a shift. Fever is an early sign of COVID-19.

For deputies interacting with the public, Skatrud is requiring more personal protective equipment during response to certain calls, particularly those where EMS is requested, and asking deputies to handle more cases by phone. Deputies are also being fitted with N95 respirator masks.

Deputies will also be maintaining the recommended six-foot distance from others. “Please don’t be offended, we are striving to keep everyone healthy,” Skatrud wrote in his announcement of the policy change.

All sheriff’s office department meetings and trainings until at least April 14 are canceled, including a public C.R.A.S.E. (Civilian Response to Active Shooter Event) training on April 14.

“My life is full of meetings, and basically every meeting has been cleared from my calendar,” Skatrud said. He’s in communication with sheriffs across the state, sharing and “borrowing” ideas for solutions.

For the public, he recommends the Green County Health Department website, gcpublichealth.org.

‘Do as much as possible over the phone’

In Lafayette County, the sheriff’s office is abiding by changes to protect staff, jail inmates and the public from risk of COVID-19 exposure. The changes went into effect Tuesday, March 17, at the direction of the county Human Resources Committee.

Inmate visitation is suspended at the Lafayette County Jail, however inmates can still talk by phone or video.

Usually these phone and video services cost per minute, but Sheriff Reg Gill said he is looking at ways to provide free time during the suspension of in-person visitation. 

All non-essential public safety services, including vehicle registrations and renewals, are also suspended until further notice.

“As soon as we can get back to business as normal, we will do it in a heartbeat,” Gill said. 

FaceTime with police

Smaller police departments are working with the tools they have, operating with heightened sanitation and getting creative.

“We’re obviously taking precautions, sanitizing everything, same as everybody else, washing our hands, and making sure we clean our office and (squad) car out really well,” said Albany Chief of Police Robert Ritter.

At the Monticello Police Department, “we’re using technology that’s available,” said Chief Szvon Conway.

“Your bigger departments have windows (in the lobby) ... We don’t have a glass window,” he said. “That’s why I came up with the idea: let’s FaceTime.”

Szvon created a Facebook account called “Monticello Officer” that his officers can use on their department-issued smartphones to chat and video-conference with people. This week an officer interviewed a suspect from Brodhead in a hit-and-run case via FaceTime and recorded it as evidence.

“It turned out great,” Conway said, noting that it fits right in with public health recommendations for social distancing to prevent spread of COVID-19. 

Conway sees a change in the community, too. By March 19, nobody had walked into the Monticello police station in two days.