There has been some confusion since the Kern County Sheriff’s Office announced the implementation of new procedures due to the impacts of COVID-19. We hope the following helps put your minds at ease.
Deputies will continue to address every crime in Kern County. If criminals believe there will be no consequences for their actions during this global pandemic, they are wrong.
Deputies will still respond to calls for service. We are asking for the community’s understanding and assistance with limiting in-person contact as much as possible by allowing deputies to obtain information needed for the investigation by phone. If there is evidence for any crime that can be gathered by deputies responding to the location, they will respond and process the scene.
For example, if a community member has their vehicle stolen, deputies will be contacting the reporting party (victim) by phone to get the information. We will conduct an investigation, complete the report, and attempt to locate the vehicle – as we always have.
Here is another example. If a community member reports a theft and there is suspect information and/or identification, deputies will contact the victim by phone. Deputies will also respond to the area to conduct an investigation, complete the report, and attempt to locate and arrest the suspect – as we always have.
Again, the only change is deputies will be conducting interviews by phone when possible to obtain the information necessary to begin their investigation. Deputies will still be contacting most witnesses and suspects in-person during their investigations.
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office will be conducting our duties as we always have, other than trying to limit in-person contact as much as possible for the protection of both the community and Sheriff’s employees from COVID-19. Public Safety is now and always has been our number one priority.
