Bloomington Police officer opens up about diagnosis of COVID-19, department's changes amid pandemic

No vaccine means no one is immune to COVID-19, including police officers. From staffing to scheduling, police departments are making changes during the pandemic. 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS found out how the Bloomington Police Department is dealing with COVID-19 as some of its officers contract the virus. Police described what they're going through as officers provide front-line service to Minnesotans.

Bloomington Police Deputy Chief Mike Hartley said three of his officers have battled the coronavirus, including Officer Erika Brown.

Brown said a couple of weeks ago the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) told her she had a presumptive case of COVID-19.

"The worst part of this virus is that we didn't know what to expect. Everything is unknown," she said.

'Officers are scared out there': Coronavirus hits US police

Brown added, "I'm in our Crime Prevention Unit at work, so there are about six of us that share an office together." 

And three of them were diagnosed with COVID-19.

When asked if it takes a toll on his team, Hartley said, "Police officers and first responders always realize there come some of the dangers of the job… and in 2020 unfortunately it's the coronavirus. It resonates through the department, it raises the level of anxiety a little bit higher." 

Brown described her coronavirus journey to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS, saying it stemmed from another co-worker.

 "My co-worker who showed symptoms first, he called me and said that he had tested positive for COVID-19… I got nervous… I wasn't sure what to expect for the next couple of weeks," Brown explained.

Brown walked 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS through the worst of it. 

"I had a super bad sinus and headache, I had incredible body aches, every single muscle in my body hurt, I had chills, I had a fever. For probably a little over a week I had a fever between 100 and 102 [degrees]… I had no taste, I had no smell, I had no energy whatsoever." 

After two weeks in quarantine, Brown expects to return to work this week.

Because of COVID-19, Hartley said the department is having its team do five 12-hour days in a row, with enough people on-call, and enough days off before they return, in case anyone needs to quarantine. 

"Whether it be a roll call briefing before a shift, whether it be command staff meetings, we are taking advantage of teleconferencing," the deputy chief said.

If someone on the police force was a detective four weeks ago, for example, Hartley said they're likely now on patrol. 

"We had to kind of go skeleton crew in certain areas of the police department," he said. "We are not as busy as we were a month ago, because of the 'stay at home' orders, and businesses being closed."

Also, he said they're utilizing the Bloomington Fire Department for medical responses. 

"We are going to get through this and everybody has had to do things a little differently," Hartley said.

Brown said she hopes telling her story will help others understand what a case of COVID-19 can feel like. 

"If I can help at least ease other people's anxiety, just having gone through it myself, I want to do that," Brown said.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS checked with other police departments around the state to see what they're doing to keep operations going during the pandemic.

Metro Transit said its officers have changed to five days on and 10 days off. The Roseville Police Department said some specialty units have moved to the patrol pool. The Plymouth Police Department tells KSTP it's having its officers work five days on and 15 days off. St. Paul Police said it's splitting its officers' shifts so they aren't ever in the same place at the same time to limit the spread of the virus.