By Russ Tarby

Contributing Writer

Essential workers in all fields of endeavor are going above and beyond to provide services during the pandemic.

The Liverpool Police Department, for instance, has adopted several practical protocols designed to protect themselves and the public from spreading COVID-19.

Officers have been issued cloth face masks and have additional masks on order. 

“We have the N95 masks in the patrol vehicles for incidents involving suspected or confirmed COVID-19 individuals,” said Chief Don Morris. “We also have surgical masks in the patrol vehicles if we need to transport an individual and that person does not have their own mask.”

The LPD has received donations of face shields and cloth masks from American High/Syracuse Studios, and also received cloth masks hand-made by Nancy Gaus. 

In order to halt the spread of the virus, village policemen are using hand sanitizer and vigilantly cleaning door handles and surfaces in their headquarters on Sycamore Street.    

“We have hand sanitizer in all the vehicles,” Morris said, “and our officers sanitize the cars after each shift. They also sanitize the areas within the police department where they have worked. We have taken precautions to limit contact between officers and are practicing social distancing with each other and with the public whenever possible.”

The police have shared some of their personal protective equipment and sanitizer with the village clerks, codes officers and the Department of Public Works.

In the wake of the pandemic, Morris notes that crime is down, but that doesn’t mean his officers aren’t busy.

“They’re all proactive in conducting property checks throughout the village,” Morris said.

During the month of March, for instance, LPD officers made 200 residential checks and responded to a total of 581 incidents and calls for service.

The Liverpool department is staffed by the chief, one sergeant, three full-time police officers, seven part-time police officers and one civilian clerk.

Four part-time crossing guards are also employed.

The department is the primary law enforcement agency that patrols the village’s .08 square miles or more than 16 miles of roadway.

“All in all,” Morris said, “we’re getting through this and currently all of us are healthy.”

Chief’s contract extended

At their April 14 meeting, village trustees approved the extension of Morris’s contract by one year, through May 31, 2021.

Morris first became police chief here in 1999. He resigned in 2007 to take over as chief in East Syracuse, and in 2012 he was rehired here as part of a shared-services agreement with East Syracuse.

Three years later, East Syracuse dissolved its police force, and Morris retained his part-time employment in Liverpool.

The board also accepted the resignation of part-time officer Michael Bufano, effective April 16, and approved the hiring of Nicholas DiBrango to replace Bufano. DiBrango graduated from the police academy three years ago and is certified in radar and taser.