• Home
  • Campus
    • Academics
    • Greek Life
    • SGA
    • Student Life
  • State/Local
    • Around Town
    • Board of Regents
    • National
    • Pierre
    • Vermillion City Council
    • Vermillion Police Department
  • Sports
    • Cross Country
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Men’s Basketball
    • Soccer
    • Swimming/Diving
    • Track and Field
    • Volleyball
    • Women’s Basketball
  • Verve
    • Feature
    • Diversity
    • Events
    • CAB
    • The Vault
  • Opinion
  • E-Edition
  • COVID-19
The Volante
The Volante
  • Home
  • Campus
    • Academics
    • Greek Life
    • SGA
    • Student Life
  • State/Local
    • Around Town
    • Board of Regents
    • National
    • Pierre
    • Vermillion City Council
    • Vermillion Police Department
  • Sports
    • Cross Country
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Men’s Basketball
    • Soccer
    • Swimming/Diving
    • Track and Field
    • Volleyball
    • Women’s Basketball
  • Verve
    • Feature
    • Diversity
    • Events
    • CAB
    • The Vault
  • Opinion
  • E-Edition
  • COVID-19
  • Follow
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
Home
Special
COVID-19

Vermillion Police adapt to coronavirus

March 31st, 2020 Dre Hill Campus, COVID-19, Special comments

Share this story

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest

With social distancing being recommended, some crimes in the Vermillion area have increased while others have decreased.

Matt Betzen, chief of the Vermillion Police Department (VPD), said he began to notice the trend of certain crimes going down and its impact on the type of calls being received.

“Unfortunately we have seen an increase in the number of calls for disputes between persons, domestic type, family type or neighbor type disputes between people,” Betzen said. “It’s about a 50 percent increase in those.”

On average, Betzen said VPD handles about 120 to 130 calls in a regular week.

Officers have had to change the way they assess certain situations and how they deal with them due to the COVID-19, Betzen said. Crimes like theft or after the fact situations would lead to being cited rather than an arrest.

“When possible, we don’t make arrests. We cite people or refer the cases up to a state attorney,” Betzen said. “If the situation requires an immediate arrest to defuse a potentially violent situation, we still make arrests.”

The coronavirus has also impacted how Vermillion Police are taking certain precautions to protect themselves and the people in the community. As of March 28, there is one confirmed case in Vermillion with three cases pending and approximately 20 tests conducted.

Betzen said using social distancing effectively is key in this situation.

“We’re working on officers getting more personal protective gear such as old riot helmets that have face shields on them,” Betzen said. “We’ve gotten a lot more gloves and we’re working on getting more masks that meet the CDC recommendations.”

Betzen said he hopes everyone stays safe and exercises social distancing and helps limit the spread of the coronavirus by only going outside when necessary.

“We’re all just trying to figure this out as we go along and we’ll see what happens,” Betzen said.

  • Tags
  • arrests
  • coronavirus
  • COVID-19
  • crime
  • quarantine
  • self quarantine
  • social distancing
  • VPD

Share this story

Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest

Dre Hill

Related Posts

USD Uniting Students Through Athletics Campus
February 24th, 2021

USD Uniting Students Through Athletics

VHS gears up for spring athletics Campus
February 24th, 2021

VHS gears up for spring athletics

Coyotes sweep NDSU over weekend series Campus
February 24th, 2021

Coyotes sweep NDSU over weekend series

Facebook Comments

Latest Stories

Feb 24th 2:49 PM
Sports

Women’s basketball win over Oral Roberts with 21-point advantage

Feb 24th 2:44 PM
Campus

USD Uniting Students Through Athletics

Feb 24th 2:40 PM
Campus

VHS gears up for spring athletics

Feb 24th 2:38 PM
Sports

A.J. Plitzuweit makes two free throws for win against Oral Roberts

Feb 24th 2:34 PM
Campus

Coyotes sweep NDSU over weekend series

Feb 24th 2:28 PM
Sports

Training in it so they can play in it

Feb 24th 2:12 PM
Sports

Volleyball decides to keep masks off the court

Feb 23rd 9:50 PM
Campus

SGA hosts deputy athletic director

Feb 23rd 2:10 PM
Opinion

Amendment A should be a must-watch decision for South Dakotans

Feb 23rd 1:57 PM
Verve

AWOL offers alternative spring break to students

Weather

Coyote News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K7ERfZmFOg

Advertisement

  • Home
  • Campus
  • State/Local
  • Sports
  • Verve
  • Opinion
  • E-Edition
  • COVID-19
  • Back to top

The Volante

The Volante is the University of South Dakota’s independent student-run newspaper since 1887. Al Neuharth Media Center The Volante 555 N. Dakota Street Vermillion, SD 57069

Advertisement

About

  • About
  • Code of Ethics
  • History
  • Awards
  • Executive Staff
  • Jobs
  • Comment Policy
  • Advertise

Engage

  • Letters to the Editor
  • Contact Us
  • Submit an Overheard
  • Subscribe
  • Submit News Tips

Media Partners

  • Coyote News
  • KAOR 91.1
  • Media & Journalism Department
© The Volante 2015. All rights reserved.