LOCUST TOWNSHIP — The Columbia County Emergency Management Agency on Sunday was notified by the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency of the first positive case of COVID-19 in Columbia County.
To address the on-going concerns surrounding the presence of COVID-19 in the Roaring Creek Valley area, the Locust Township Police Department is implementing modifications to response protocols.
These modifications, Chief Allen Breach said, are for the safety of department employees and the residents they serve.
“Our goal is to try to prevent or contain the spread of COVID-19, especially to those in the high-risk category,” Breach stated. “Citizens are strongly encouraged to utilize online and telephone reporting options to file police reports when police response is not paramount. This does not apply to emergency calls, where crime is in-progress, violent in nature or when suspects may still be on scene.”
The department advised residents to still call 911 to report an emergency. The police non-emergency line is 570-784-6300. The office telephone reporting is 570-799-5806.
Breach stated that if an officer is needed to respond to a call for service do not be offended if an officer attempts to maintain a social distance of at least six feet from you. An officer, he added, may also ask you to exit your home to speak.
“The Locust Township Police Department will continue to provide the same high-quality service that has exemplified our department for decades,” Breach stated. “We ask for the public’s patience and cooperation in our effort to maintain the safety of both citizens and officers in this trying time.”
Breach asked that residents not enter the Locust Township Police Department for the following reasons:
• Your report can be taken outside your home.
• You have a fever or have had a fever within the last 24 hours.
• You have traveled outside of the United States within the last 14 days.
• You are experiencing flu-like symptoms, a cough, sore throat or shortness of breath.
“Please remember we are committed to serving our residents, business community and visitors, but in order to do this on a continual basis we must try to ensure our officers and staff remain healthy,” Breach stressed. “We are taking these extraordinary steps as we are experiencing extraordinary times. We must try to minimize health risks to employees and our community, especially those most vulnerable to the coronavirus. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.”
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Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.