POINTING THE WAY FOR POLICE
Chief Mizuno learns during COVID
Windsor police encountered a new threat this year they couldn't subdue with handcuffs and tactical training.
COVID-19, the invisible menace wreaking havoc on the region, taking lives and destroying livelihoods, did not make things easy for the law. But the men and women in uniform and the civilian employees behind them at the Windsor Police Service faced the challenge head-on — with masks, of course.
In a one-on-one interview with the Star 10 months after the novel coronavirus first landed in the city, Windsor Police Chief Pam Mizuno shared what changes the force had to make to continue operations, as well as the challenges posed by the highly contagious disease.
“I'm very proud of the team here at the Windsor Police Service and the work that they've done,” Mizuno said. “We've been able to keep our membership safe and healthy, and also the community as well. We've been able to continue to provide effective service to our community.”
Preparations for the pandemic began in February, before a single infection was recorded in Windsor-essex. Like organizations and businesses across the country, Windsor police adjusted the physical work environment inside its headquarters downtown to allow for physical distancing. Temporary work-from-home measures were implemented for staff able to perform their jobs remotely in the spring, and then again in the fall when COVID-19 case counts picked up again.
The force adjusted its deployment model for front line officers to reduce their contact with one another, and with the public, Mizuno said.
Other protocols implemented internally reduced congestion of members in the building and in the community.
All members of the service are screened before entering any police facilities, and strict protocols for personal protective equipment (PPE) are adhered to. That includes wearing a mask when in contact with any members of the public and other employees. The WPS also purchased gloves, hand sanitizer, and a decontamination fogger — a machine used to sanitize vehicles and equipment.
When non-essential businesses closed and were left unattended for weeks at the pandemic's onset, Windsor police saw an increase in commercial break-and-enters, Mizuno said. The service quickly implemented measures to assess how business owners could better protect their properties from crime.
Otherwise, there has been a slight decrease in the number of calls for police service in Windsor and Amherstburg.
After two officers contracted COVID-19 in the spring, the force established its own contact tracing unit to further mitigate the spread of infection among members and protect the public by identifying potential contacts in the community.
Of the roughly 500 sworn members and 150 civilian staff, only five have contracted COVID-19 to date.
“I really give a lot of credit to our membership,” Mizuno said. “With those numbers, it shows that our membership has followed the guidance of the public health unit and worked very hard, along with the rest of our community, to keep a safe environment in the workplace, but also keep our community safe as well.”
Crediting all first responders and front-line workers, including health care staff, for their continuing efforts under immense pressure, Mizuno nevertheless acknowledged the strain COVID-19 has put on Windsor police officers.
“Our officers have to make adjustments in the way they do business, how they respond to calls. I'm certain it's … something that weighs on them to a degree when they're attending calls for service,” she said. “There is some stress, but our members have continued to do their jobs very, very well.
“As with every member of our community, we are all in this together. I think we are all feeling that kind of strain.”
Law enforcement is one of the few “critical” services identified by the federal government at the pandemic's onset as being allowed to continue operating.
How the force responds to calls for service has changed, too, though Mizuno believes the new approach has not compromised the quality of service. Police headquarters remain closed to the public, though those in need of emergency service may enter.
Some calls for service require that police make phone calls to complainants to see how they can best serve them while still maintaining physical distance when possible, she said.
Call-takers also screen residents, so officers have some information about potential illnesses before entering each situation — though each officer is equipped with the appropriate PPE.
PPE also comes in handy when officers take people into custody, which requires officers coming within two metres of those placed under arrest, one of the “aspects of our job that we must continue to do.
“COVID presents challenges for all members of the community, and it's no different for our officers,” Mizuno said. “But our officers are … very well trained. Our supervisors are in constant communication with the front-line officers on the road and making sure that we're meeting their needs, and helping them as best they can to help our community.”
Multiple times throughout the pandemic and often with only short notice, the province has changed the limits on social gathering sizes and indoor dining occupancy with the expectation that local police enforce those rules. Throughout those changes, WPS was kept “well-informed” and communicated those changes with officers, though “it was a challenge to keep up” with the frequently changing regulations.
“Over the course of the pandemic, we've always tried to have a balanced response that aligns with the provincial regulations and supporting our community,” the chief said.
“Our community should be confident that the police is still providing effective service to our community. We're still out there keeping the community safe.”
As with every member of our community, we are all in this together. I think we are all feeling that kind of strain.