BSPD is #BlueSpringsStrong
Balancing a duty to protect and serve the community andkeeping officers and personnel safe during a pandemic has been a challengingtask for Chief Bob Muenz and the Blue Springs Police Department, but not onehe, or his officers and staff, have shied away from.
Photo by Anthem Photography
“Fortunately, we’ve got a lot of smart employees who are good at problem solving,” Muenz said. “You give police officers a challenge and they will figure out a way to overcome.”
Muenz said he and his staff have implemented a variety of protocols during the last several months to enhance the safety and well-being of his staff.
“We’ve had to get creative in how we respond to certain situations and how we keep up with our staff training while adhering to the social distancing protocols and travel restrictions. Like everyone right now, we’ve had to adjust how we do things. But the end goal is always to providee xcellent public safety to our community and protect the health and well-being of our employees.”
The Police Department was able to modify operating procedures, implement face masks, gloves and other personal protective gear for officers and employees, and enhance building sanitization techniques.
“Because of the steps we took when we did to take care of our employees, overall our staff has felt very comfortable with our response,”Muenz said. “The biggest public risk right now is our patrol officers,” he added. “We have to respond to calls for service to protect the public and many times we would go into a situation where we don’t know if that person has been in contact with the virus or not.”
When there has been a potential encounter, Muenz said theDepartment has been able to get those officers immediately tested and quarantined when needed. They have also implemented daily temperature checks and staffing procedures that allow for flexibility in work schedules.
“We’ve been able to allow our auxiliary functions, such as investigations and others, to work from home or utilize staggered shifts so we reduce the number of people in the building at any given time,” Muenz said.“This has given us a reserve force, so to speak, and if someone on patrol gets sick, it would allow us to temporarily move the healthy personnel who have been working from home in their place to keep public safety operations moving.”
Photo by Anthem Photography
Muenz said he is proud of the way his staff has handled thepandemic and other challenges that 2020 has brought.
“2020 has been a rough year, but we’ve got great employees across the board and we do a good job to make sound decisions and serve the community as best we can. We’re lucky to have such a great and supportive community. With our employees and the community working together, it can make things less challenging in these crazy times.”
Thank you to the City of Blue Springs, The Examiner, Community Services League Blue Springs, and Downtown Alive for supporting our local small businesses. Together, we are #BlueSpringsStrong!
Photos by Jaime Russell, Anthem Photography
