Local Police Add Personnel, Patrols For Y2K
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
With all the hype given to the possibility of Y2K problems, area police agencies are preparing to ease the worries of residents by putting in extra hours.
The Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department is keeping its second-shift (2 to 10 p.m.) officers on duty until midnight New Year's Eve, and third-shift officers (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) will stay on later New Year's Day to make sure there aren't any problems and so that extra patrol vehicles will be on the road.
Also, according to Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine, 10 reserve officers will be working during the holiday and at least one officer will be posted at the fire station of each town in the county that doesn't have a police department. That way, Rovenstine said, if a problem does occur, citizens can go to the fire stations for help. Officers are equipped with radios, and the KCSD communications system is Y2K compliant.
Rovenstine said he is not anticipating any problems, but is preparing in the event something does go wrong.
Warsaw Police Department has altered its shifts, breaking from the traditional three shifts per day and having officers on patrol in 12-hour shifts. Eight to nine officers are expected to be on the road during each of the shifts - 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. - now though Jan. 3.
At North Webster, police, fire and EMS have a contingency plan in place in case of power outages or in case any other problems occur.
Extra patrols are planned at both North Webster and Syracuse, where Town Marshal Bill Endler said arrangements have been made with Wawasee High School to house people in case there is an extended power outage.
Also, if people are at parties in Syracuse and live inside town limits, police officers will provide rides home to anyone who is intoxicated - if they call beforehand. The "free ride" doesn't apply to a driver who's been stopped for drunk driving, Endler said. In that case, "we'll give them a ride somewhere else."
Countywide, extra patrols will be keeping watch for drunk drivers, which is standard every New Year's Eve. [[In-content Ad]]
With all the hype given to the possibility of Y2K problems, area police agencies are preparing to ease the worries of residents by putting in extra hours.
The Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department is keeping its second-shift (2 to 10 p.m.) officers on duty until midnight New Year's Eve, and third-shift officers (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.) will stay on later New Year's Day to make sure there aren't any problems and so that extra patrol vehicles will be on the road.
Also, according to Sheriff Aaron Rovenstine, 10 reserve officers will be working during the holiday and at least one officer will be posted at the fire station of each town in the county that doesn't have a police department. That way, Rovenstine said, if a problem does occur, citizens can go to the fire stations for help. Officers are equipped with radios, and the KCSD communications system is Y2K compliant.
Rovenstine said he is not anticipating any problems, but is preparing in the event something does go wrong.
Warsaw Police Department has altered its shifts, breaking from the traditional three shifts per day and having officers on patrol in 12-hour shifts. Eight to nine officers are expected to be on the road during each of the shifts - 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. - now though Jan. 3.
At North Webster, police, fire and EMS have a contingency plan in place in case of power outages or in case any other problems occur.
Extra patrols are planned at both North Webster and Syracuse, where Town Marshal Bill Endler said arrangements have been made with Wawasee High School to house people in case there is an extended power outage.
Also, if people are at parties in Syracuse and live inside town limits, police officers will provide rides home to anyone who is intoxicated - if they call beforehand. The "free ride" doesn't apply to a driver who's been stopped for drunk driving, Endler said. In that case, "we'll give them a ride somewhere else."
Countywide, extra patrols will be keeping watch for drunk drivers, which is standard every New Year's Eve. [[In-content Ad]]