Plover Police Dept. limits public lobby services

Metro Wire Staff

The Plover Police Department will close down its fingerprinting station and drug drop-off box effective immediately.

Police Chief Dan Ault said closing down the two services temporarily will limit the risk of exposure to elderly residents, who are in a higher risk category for contracting COVID-19.

For now, Ault said the lobby, located at 2420 Post Rd., will remain open to the public, as department staff is protected by a thick layer of kevlar glass. But he may limit public access in the future, requiring visitors to be buzzed in.

“Right now we’re just asking people to minimize their presence in the lobby and avoid close proximity,” Ault said. “We have a really small lobby and we don’t want people face-to-face.”

Ault said any decision about limiting access, or future closures, is the result of guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, and not intended to cause panic or fear.

“This is something nobody alive has experienced; as police, we’ve got to be prepared to deal with the behaviors when people react. We’re trying to stay ahead of the curve,” Ault said.

In a post to the department’s Facebook page, Ault encouraged residents to follow CDC guidelines by washing their hands regularly and practice social distancing.

“We ask that you continue to be kind, be compassionate, be smart in your actions. Please listen to the advice of doctors, public health officials, and first responders,” the post reads in part. “We are here to help you but we need your help too. We ask for everyone to practice social distancing (6ft space between each other) but we also ask for human decency and to continue to be kind to each other. Everyone can truly make a difference by your own choices and decisions. No one is immune to the Coronavirus and all of us play a part in prevention and protection.”