After two months of the state’s stay-at-home order, Flossmoor Police Chief Tod Kamleiter has come to some basic conclusions about the effect of COVID-19 on local law enforcement. The volume of police calls in Flossmoor is down since Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s March 20 executive order went into effect. There have been no serious crimes in the village since then.
After two months of the state’s stay-at-home order, Flossmoor Police Chief Tod Kamleiter has come to some basic conclusions about the effect of COVID-19 on local law enforcement.
The volume of police calls in Flossmoor is down since Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s March 20 executive order went into effect. There have been no serious crimes in the village since then.
“I don’t think we have had anyone in our lock-up in the last two months,” he said.
There have been a few car break-ins. Kamleiter said he has seen a slight uptick in domestic calls — that was expected — but not in any alarming numbers.
Overall, people have gotten the message about how to behave, and stay safe, during the shutdown. That goes for young people too, who appear to be doing a good job of following the guidelines for social distancing.
In the early days of the stay-at-home order, police broke up an impromptu football game at Homewood-Flossmoor High School. Kamleiter said police have not had to deal with any similar incidents since then.
Then there is the matter of vehicles on the streets, and how people are driving.
“I’m kind of surprised by the amount of traffic on the roads,” he said. “With so many people at home, I expected to see less traffic.”
There is a perception, though, that traffic volumes are down and some drivers are responding by going faster than usual, even on village streets.
“I think there is a misconception that we are not doing traffic stops,” Kamleiter said. “That is definitely not true. But I have seen some people driving like there are no speed limits.”
Kamleiter said he drives an unmarked vehicle around Flossmoor and has experienced drivers “flying past me” on local streets. During the shutdown, he said, drivers may need to be reminded that they will be still be ticketed for speeding and other traffic violations.
Flossmoor’s police officers are also following guidelines to stay safe during the pandemic. They must wear personal protection gear — mask, gloves and eyewear — whenever encountering members of the public. Police will respond to calls in-person for incidents like criminal damage to property, or more serious offenses. For other calls, such as when residents report problems with their credit cards, officers are more likely to respond from the police station.
The good news, Kamleiter said, is that “everyone is healthy.” The precautions that officers are taking are working and none have gotten sick during the health crisis.
“They’re coming to work, they’re doing their job, they’re being careful,” he said. “We appreciate that.”
Police have taken part in about a dozen birthday parades during the shutdown and Kamleiter said the celebrations have been an enjoyable experience. Emergency vehicles have participated in the processions past houses where families are marking birthdays.
The police department has fine-tuned some rules for the parades. Kamleiter said the parades should be just for birthdays and only for children under 13. Also, participants in the processions should not get out of their cars to give presents to family members.
Kamleiter thanked businesses and residents for their support during the crisis.
Local restaurants, along with Idlewild Country Club, have been dropping off food for first responders for the last couple of months.
“We’re getting food from residents almost every day, too,” he said. “It’s been great. We are really overwhelmed by the support from the community.”