Regina police ‘equipped’ for coronavirus, asking public to limit station visits

The Regina Police Service says it’s “equipped” to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Regina police Chief Evan Bray addressed the public through social media to share what officers are doing to address the situation.

“Emergency response is what we do. Our members are trained; we have the tools and the equipment in order to keep our community safe,” Bray said in a video posted on Twitter.

“We have taken steps to keep our staff safe so we, in turn, can help you and this community stay safe through this challenging time.”

Bray said there are ways for the public to help police fight the spread of the virus. He said if it isn’t absolutely necessary to go to the station, avoid visiting.

“We ask you to think about other ways to report your crime. You can report online, go to the website and check that out. You can do phone reporting as well,” Bray said.

Regina police have closed their front doors. Anybody who goes to the station will be met by a commissionaire who will be asking a number of questions related to COVID-19 symptoms.

He said their criminal record check area is also very busy and can be accessed online.

Bray said anybody calling in to the service’s communication centre can expect to answer more questions than usual.

“We want to understand the health of those in situations we are responding to, again, so we can take the proper precautions and keep our members safe,” Bray said.

Bray said the police service will continue to work the Saskatchewan Health Authority, Health Canada and the City of Regina to help ensure best practices in keeping the community safe.