Newton Police Department seeing rise in calls for service

The Newton Police Department has seen a rise in certain calls for services now that people are spending more time inside.

NPD Chief Rob Burdess said there has been an increase in reports of suspicious people. That doesn’t necessarily mean more crime, just that people are able to see more going on with increased time at home.

“There are more people at home so they are noticing things that are happening in and around their neighborhood,” Burdess said.

Another, more troubling aspect, is the department is seeing is an increase in calls for things such as domestic disturbances. The NPD is seeing more of these calls than normal, possibly due to the coronavirus pandemic situation.

"The fear and uncertainty is definitely causing some mental strain on people. There is a lot of stress going on and combine that with close quarters or close isolation with other people you are going to have
some friction and some disagreements ... That is one thing that has picked up," Burdess said.

While Burdess did say that most of these calls aren’t necessarily resulting in arrests it isn’t uncommon to see this happen. He said the police department can see it when the cold weather keeps people inside, too. The hope is actions don’t become more violent.

“This is a little bit different. With snow you know there is an end to it. With cold weather, the same thing but with this there is just so much uncertainty. I think the toll on peoples mental health and the stress is exasperating the situation,” Burdess said.

While this time can be a stressful one, Burdess encouraged those who may be experiencing stress to reach out for the resources available to them. Whether that be a crisis line among other resources available.

“If you are feeling significantly stressed out or depressed or having some other mental health crisis there are resources available and we encourage you to take advantage of those,” Burdess said.

The NPD has also started taking precautions to protect its staff, Burdess said. Whether it is frequent hand washing or asking people to come outside to speak with them, officers are taking measures to protect themselves and the public.

“We still have a responsibility to protect the public and if our numbers are affected that is going to be more challenging as we move through this,” Burdess said.

Another area affecting the NPD is the ability for newly hired officers to attend the police academy. Burdess said the current class is being taught through video but even if they aren’t able to go right away, they can still benefit the department.

“State code allows us to hire somebody as a police officer and they just need to be certified within one year of hire ... It would just mean more field training time on the front end,” Burdess said.

While there is a lot of uncertainty around the current situation Burdess, said the police department will be there for those who are in need during this time.

“We are here for you if you need anything the police department is just a phone call away. We will try to get you through whatever you have going on. We are in this together and we want our community to be as safe as possible as we traverse through the unknown,” Burdess said.

Contact Dustin Teays at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or dteays@newtondailynews.com