SHAWANO, WI – If there is one positive to the Safer at Home order other than safety, it may be a decrease in crime.
Shawano Police Chief Dan Mauel says the numbers reflect that.
“We are seeing quite a bit of a slow down as far as the incidents that we respond to and the people that are out,” Mauel said. It looks like our incidents are down about 33 percent from the same time last year in almost every category.
Chief Mauel says there is no real for sure way of knowing if the decrease in crimee is related to COVID-19, but he says there are two big things that he notices.
“The pandemic that is going on has people worried and they are staying home,” Mauel said. “They are also listening to what we are asking them to do. We don’t know if that will continue after, but we can hope.”
One big difference may be related to the fact that bars are closed and people are not attending as many house parties.
“Last year between March 15 and April 15 we had six OWI’s and this year we had zero.”
Police Officers with the Shawano Police Department have been forced to enforce laws with discretion. He says officers need to think safety first and foremost when responding to a situation.
“This is a different kind of danger that our officers are going into. We are used to being able to see what is coming at us but you can’t see this. What is hard on our officers is going home to their families and worrying about bringing it back to them just like our healthcare workers.”
He says one thing that has been working very well when it comes to social distancing complaints is education.
“We have had a couple of basketball games going on and the officers talked to those people and they understood and they stopped. That is all we ask.”
He says while the officers will continue their duties to the city of Shawano, it is important to know that everytime they have to contact someone that they don’t know, they have to engage them and that is what puts them in a bad situation.
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