SCPD STAFF AND COVID-19 UPDATE APRIL 21
Jeremy McClure
Several members of the Sioux City Police Department were diagnosed positive for COVID-19. These employees have been recovering and the SCPD is seeing many of these individuals return to work following Public Health and physician approval. As a public safety agency, we thought it appropriate to release limited information in the interest of transparency.
Among the SCPD staff impacted were 9 individuals of various positions with the SCPD to include the police chief, a police captain, two police lieutenants, a police sergeant, police officer and 3 civilian staff members.
These employees worked in close proximity in two offices on 2nd floor of police headquarters and were not in positions that worked closely with the public. Most reported mild symptoms following their diagnosis with two having to seek medical treatment. Since the diagnosis of these individuals, no other officers or employees have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and the department continues to operate with full staffing to respond to 911 calls and provide essential services.
The department continues to employ policies and procedures to mitigate the exposure of officers and employees, as well as to mitigate any chance of spreading the virus. We are working to seek the highest level of caution and safety for our SCPD team as well as the citizens that we serve.
The SCPD also appreciates the outpouring of support and assistance from the community following the discovery of cases within our department. We were overwhelmed with the support of community members and their desire to provide resources to the officers and staff to assist them in staying healthy as they continued their work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The chief has spoken to several of the department’s members to gauge their interest in speaking to the media about their symptoms and experience with the virus. Because this is a privacy issue, we do not intend to mandate these employees speak publicly. Several have expressed willingness to speak out, and when a final group is determined, we will notify our partners in the media so that interviews can be arranged.
Updated April 21, 2020 at 1:20 pm