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Guilford Police See No Need to Up Enforcement of Social Distancing as Residents Follow Guidelines

As communities across the state and around the globe have been forced to deal with an unfortunate and difficult question—how to deal with people who simply ignore social distancing rules—Guilford residents have so far not caused widespread alarm for law enforcement or public health officials.

“Certainly people [in Guilford] understand the significance of social distancing,” Guilford Police Department (GPD) Deputy Chief Butch Hyatt said.

In neighboring Madison, police and town officials have threatened to go as far as setting up curfews and checkpoints, and the state Department of Energy & Environmental Protection recently said visitors to state parks who violate the governor’s orders could be charged with a felony.

But according to GPD Sergeant Martina Jakober and Hyatt, though they have the authority to enforce state-mandated social distancing rules and town ordinances, there is no immediate thought of having to do so with most residents doing a good job of following protocols.

Though there are exceptions—the town recently closed the dog park and removed hoops from basketball courts in response to complaints about larger groups and people congregating too closely—both Jakober and Hyatt said they have seen residents respond to the strict social isolation orders that have come out of both Hartford and Town Hall.

Officers on patrol have been made aware of these recent closures and the fact there were some problems with larger groups congregating there, according to Hyatt, but “haven’t seen any issues” in those areas since the facilities were closed.

“For the most part, it seems like everybody in town is adhering to that advice that is coming from the [Centers for Disease Control & Prevention] and their local health department as to what needs to be done to help keep everybody in the community safe,” Jakober.

Occasional calls regarding too many people at a trailhead or another public location are “not very common,” Jakober said.

In fact, the department has actually dealt with a handful of complaints concerning people who are social distancing almost too well, according to Jakober, by stepping out into the street in order to keep a six-foot buffer from another person.

“With cars on the road…[make] sure before you step out into the road, there are no cars coming,” she said.

The GPD recently put up a post on its Facebook page addressing this issue, Jakober said, urging motorists to be aware of pedestrians who might need to step off the curb to avoid running into another person or group, and slow down or give them space.

Protecting the Police

“Anticipate that they might try to avoid each other, as they’re supposed to be doing,” she said.

Jakober runs much of the GPD’s social media, and she said she has made an effort to promote good social distancing practices generally, but also specifically reminding residents of how the department is protecting its officers and staff during the pandemic.

“We are at a higher risk,” Jakober said. “So it’s as much of us protecting ourselves as we’re protecting the public. So it’s really important that we get across to the public that we’re still here for their needs…[while] most of us have families that we go home to at night, and we have to be concerned about that as well.”

Some of those changes include asking residents to make reports or complaints over the phone or via email in non-emergency situations- damage to property, for instance, and having officers wear masks and other protective equipment both out in the community and in the station, according to Jakober.

Jakober also took the time to remind residents that they can help protect their community as well as themselves by continuing to take the same precautions the GPD has always recommended.

Car break-ins, which are nothing new in town, have continued during the pandemic, she said, with another vehicle stolen just last week.

“It’s not inhibiting anyone who is engaging in this type of criminal activity. They don’t care about the law, they don’t care about what sort of diseases are out there, either,” she said.

Locking your car doors is still the most effective way to prevent becoming a victim of these crimes, Jakober said.