BPD taking extra precautions amid pandemic

IF THERE'S SOME PREP WORK THATCAN BE DONE TO MAYBE HAVE PEOPLEMEET YOU OUT ON THE STREETRATHER THAN TO GO INTO THEHOUSE.

MAYBE OPEN UP THATENVIRONMENT, LITTLE THINGS LIKETHAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE ON HOWTHEY GOTHROUGH AND RESPOND."NATHAN MCCAULEY WITH THEBAKERSFIELD POLICEDEPARTMENT SAYS BPD OFFICERS ARELIMITING THEAMOUNT OF CONTACT THEY HAVE WITHOTHER OFFICERS, ANDWITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

AND IFOFFICERS DO HAVE TO INTERACTDIRECTLY WITH PEOPLE THEY'LL BEPROTECTED.

BPD OFFICERSNOW HAVE THE OPTION TO WEARCLOTH FACE COVERINGS WHILEON ROUTINE DUTY, AND AREEQUIPPED WITH N95 MASKS,GLOVES AND EYE PROTECTION FORUSE WHEN APPROPRIATE.BPD SAYING THEY'VE SEEN A SLIGHTDECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF CALLSTHEY GET PER DAY SINCE THESTATE'S STAY-AT HOMEORDER WAS IMPLEMENTED.

THEYUSUALLY SEE UP TO ABOUT700."THEY'VE DROPPED IN THE BALLPARKABOUT 100 CALLS PER DAY, NOPARTICULAR CALLTYPE HAS BEEN DRAMATICALLYAFFECTED, THE NUMBERS ARERELATIVELY SIMILAR AS FAR AS THENUMBER OF CRIMES, THINGS THATAREBEING REPORTED."BPD STILL RESPONDING TO MOSTTYPES OF CALLS, UNLIKETHE KERN COUNTY SHERIFF'SOFFICE, WHICH ANNOUNCED LASTWEEK IT WOULD NO LONGER RESPONDTO CERTAIN TYPES OFCALLS UNLESS THEY ARE INPROGRESS -- INCLUDING FRAUD,SHOPLIFTING AND VANDALISMCRIMES.

KCSO INSTEAD WILL ASKTHE PUBLIC TO FILL OUT AN ONLINEREPORT.

SOMETHING THATBPD ENCOURAGES AS WELL."IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CAN BEDONE THROUGH A TELEPHONICREPORT,OR CAN BE DONE THROUGH AN ONLINEREPORT, WE'RE ASKING COMMUNITYMEMBERS TO PLEASE REPORT THATWAY SO WE CAN LIMIT THE AMOUNTOF CONTACTWE'RE HAVING."SERGEANT MCCAULEY SAYS NO BPDOFFICERS HAVE TESTEDPOSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS AS FARAS HE'S AWARE.

HE ALSO