Police responding to fewer calls as more people shelter in place during coronavirus outbreak

Police departments across Southwestern Pennsylvania are receiving fewer calls as residents stay at home amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In Greensburg, police calls decreased by 27% for the last two weeks of March compared to the same period in 2019, said Chief Chad Zucco. Police received 818 calls during that period compared to 1,114 last year.

New Kensington police have seen a 38% decrease during a similar time frame, said Chief Robert Deringer. Officers received 486 calls during a 10-day period in late March 2019 compared to 301 this year.

Both chiefs attribute the decrease to the coronavirus.

“It’s a pretty big drop in a two-week period,” Zucco said.

In an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Tom Wolf shut down schools March 13 and ordered the closure of nonessential businesses three days later. By March 19, “non-life-sustaining” businesses were ordered to close. Stay-at-home orders followed for residents in Allegheny and Westmoreland, as well as other counties, as confirmed cases of the virus top 4,000 statewide.

Some police departments altered their methods for dealing with the public. Officers can take reports by phone in nonemergency situations. Public fingerprinting is temporarily suspended at some stations. Officers still respond to emergencies or calls that can’t be handled by phone.

The decrease in calls has been beneficial for Greensburg police because it reduces the potential exposure to the virus, Zucco said.

“Our problem is, if we have somebody exposed here, it’s very easy that we could have eight to 10 people quarantined at one time,” he said.

Pittsburgh police reported seeing a decrease in overall crime as a result of the coronavirus restrictions, said public information officer Chris Togneri. Figures weren’t available.

But domestic disturbance calls in the city are increasing.

During the past two weeks, calls to 911 for domestic violence were about 20% higher than normal, and verbal domestic reports were about 30% higher, Togneri said. Those calls are being handled by Pittsburgh officers in person.

Domestic violence advocates report receiving more calls related to the coronavirus during the imposed isolation.

Zucco is happy to see the department’s decrease in call numbers while the pandemic forces officers to wipe down shared equipment like patrol units and computers at the start of their shifts.

“We have to make sure that our department is able to function,” he said. “We need the public to help us.”

Staff writer Brian Rittmeyer contributed.