Commissioner: NYPD sick call triple the usual due to coronavirus
Police Commissioner Dermot Shea during monthly crime briefing to update reporters on crime statistics in January, 2019 Credit: Howard Simmons
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said Wednesday that 3,200 officers have called in sick since the coronavirus crisis hit New York — about triple the usual number.
Officials said Wednesday 197 officers had tested positive for the coronavirus.
During an interview on MSNBC, Shea said positive test results for coronavirus among officers had been increasing. A total of 236 positives have been reported, including both civilian and uniformed personnel, the spokesman said.
“We are a very resourced department,” Shea said. “ We are certainly making adjustments and have been preparing for future adjustments."
The current sick call level, which includes officers calling in for a variety of medical reasons, is about 11.25% of the uniformed force. The positive coronavirus tests amount to just about 0.5% of the total officer strength of about 36,000. It also means that about 1 in every 200 officers has tested positive.
Asked whether cops themselves were contributing to the spread of the virus, Shea said that the priority is for officers to get the proper equipment such as gloves and masks and that any sick officers are told stay home.
“Our advice is most sound, when an officer or anyone gets sick, goes sick, stay home, quarantine yourself, stay away from others,” noted Shea. “When somebody goes sick, they are triaged, if you will, and we work through the entire process for getting those members tested, if it is appropriate.”
A department spokesman wouldn’t go beyond Shea’s remarks about when testing is ordered for cops. Shea said he thought it would be unrealistic to test every cop. But he indicated that any sick officer manifesting signs of infection will be given testing priority.
Shea said he has not been tested, that he feels good and wants testing saved for those who need it.
“We are back to doing patrols where we need to, we are taking on a variety of assignments,” said Shea. “But make no mistake we are going to get through this and the New York City Police Department is going to lead the way out of this.”
Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.
