BCSO Establishes Additional Protocols for Safety of Deputies and the Public

Lynn Haven, Florida – Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford has provided deputies with equipment and established protocols needed to protect them and the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Limited to patrol deputies has been the distribution of additional gloves and N95 masks. Hand sanitizer and hand wipes have also been distributed. Information on COVID-19 has been provided while business travel and training schools such as conferences have been restricted.

Telecommunicators have been given questions specific to the symptoms of COVID-19 to ask anyone who calls to get help for an ill person. Information gathered will help responding deputies to understand more clearly the situation they are about to enter and better help the ill person.

Beginning Monday, March 23, 2020, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office will begin an additional precautionary protocol by responding to certain, specific complaints of crime by having a deputy call back and complete an incident report by telephone.

Not all complaint calls will have an incident report filled out by telephone. Just misdemeanor reports with the exception of crimes in progress, issues of public safety, and domestic violence. Examples of misdemeanor reports would be complaints of misdemeanor property crimes, identity theft, lost or stolen property, vehicle burglary, harassing phone calls, and criminal mischief.

Certain felony reports will also be handled by a phone call, but ONLY felonies that DO NOT have a suspect present, require crime scene work, evidence collection, or immediate interviews. Examples of this type of felony would be credit card fraud, grand theft with no immediate follow-up required, identification theft, and telephone or other fraud. All violent felonies will have a deputy immediately dispatched to the scene.

All citizens complaining of any crime who specifically request a deputy respond in person will have one sent to them.
After the report is taken by phone, the case will be followed up by an investigator or an assigned zone deputy.