Coronavirus safety boon: Many cops not at York, Chester schools now working on street
Schools are closed in York, Chester, and Lancaster counties because of coronavirus concerns. With those Covid-19 closures, area police agencies have added more than two dozen cops to street patrols using officers previously assigned to schools duty.
Schools in South Carolina will be closed through April, Gov. Henry McMaster ordered Tuesday.
The Rock Hill Police Department has 10 school officers and supervisors who have been reassigned to patrol division assignments and some maintenance work at the department’s Worthy Boys and Girls Camp that operates during the summer, officials said.
The officers provide extra visibility and response capability for the department during the trying times of the coronavirus outbreak, said Lt. Michael Chavis.
“These officers are helping with public safety and patrol duties and give the department extra ability to help the public,” Chavis said.
The Fort Mill Police Department has moved all seven of its officers normally assigned to schools duty to patrol, said Chief Jeff Helms and Maj. Bryan Zachary. That move began Tuesday after several days of officers remaining on school campuses during mass distribution of materials and computers for thousands of students, officials said.
The seven officers are working on public safety and protection duties in the patrol division, Zachary said.
Police agencies have been tasked with enforcing South Carolina’s state of emergency law banning groups of more than three people not involved in business, commerce, medical, or other activities. Police have been instructed to enforce the misdemeanor criminal law but do so while respecting liberty and using discretion, prosecutors and police officials said.
Local police agencies are responsible for enforcing those emergency laws.
The York Police Department has assigned its six resource officers to patrol shift, and those officers are handling calls for service during this time of public concern over Covid-19, said Capt. Brian Trail.
“All of our officers are handling calls to ensure public safety and health in these extreme times,” Trail said.
The Chester County Sheriff’s Office has assigned its six school resource officers to patrol to deter crime and speed up response times during the coronavirus pandemic, said Sheriff Max Dorsey.
Tega Cay police have moved their school resource officer to patrol, said Capt. James Patterson.
The York County Sheriff’s Office has kept its eight school resource officers assigned to school duties that include campus security and other safety functions, said Trent Faris, spokesman for the office. Deputies who are resource officers are assigned other duties by the office as conditions warrant, Faris said.
“They (school resource officers) have continued to provide security and assistance at their assigned schools as there are still essential personnel on the campuses,” Faris said. “There are also teachers, parents, and students who have to report to the schools at various times to pick up instructional plans, lessons, and devices.”
Deputies who are school resource officers are assisting bus drivers and school officials throughout the county with meal distribution at dozens of sites, Faris said
This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 12:10 PM.
