Five years later: The lasting impact of COVID on policing

While seemingly no one was spared the agony of the COVID era, law enforcement took its unique blows. I don’t know if police agencies have conducted an after-action review of police operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, but here is a reminder of some challenges encountered.

COVID deaths

In 2020, 287 of the 459 line of duty deaths recorded at ODMP.org were from COVID. In 2021, 503 of the 723 line of duty deaths were COVID. In 2022, the number was 83, six the following year, with one in 2024. As we look back over the half-decade since the “official” start of the COVID pandemic, these 880 officers whose duties prohibited them from following the urgent call to stay home is double the number of first responders who died on 9/11 (not counting those who continue to perish due to exposures that day).

Vaccine mandates

A search for “police fired for refusing COVID vaccine” yields hundreds of headlines. Only recently have courts been providing some relief including reinstatement and backpay for some of those officers.

| RELATED: Former Wash. first responders appeal COVID-19 vaccine refusal lawsuit decision

Public mistrust

With shadows of mistrust still looming over law enforcement from the false narratives of the Michael Brown case, the in-custody death of George Floyd inflamed the passions of many Americans. The stand-down orders given to many agencies during Floyd-inspired civil disturbances further alienated many citizens as over $1 billion of property was destroyed.

Crime spikes

Crime rates are great debate fodder for politicians and researchers, but the Council on Criminal Justice reports “Aggravated assault rates increased 7%, while gun assault rates went up by 22%” in early 2021.” Pro-active law enforcement in terms of traffic contacts and pedestrian stops were sharply decreased by both the fear of personal contact and virus spread, and the anti-law enforcement sentiment that discouraged anything other than necessary emergency response.

Ethical challenges

As I outlined in my 2020 article, Civil disobedience behind the badge, officers facing orders to cite people on beaches and in parks enjoying the outdoors where common sense would dictate no virus transmission was likely, faced a personal quandary about their ultimate responsibility to the law. Often, these edicts were coming from health officials operating under fuzzy statutory authority to do so. Enforcement policy often relied on political whim and subjectivity.

| RELATED: State your case: Should the officer have arrested the mom in the playground?

Officer safety

Officer fatality statistics are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to calculating danger and disability. Quarantines after exposure and non-fatal bouts of COVID decimated the law enforcement workforce. Crisis staffing and re-prioritizing redefined response strategies and scheduling patterns, necessarily affected officer safety. Shortages of masks, gloves and sanitizer, along with questions of their efficacy, plagued agencies.

The civil unrest of the period and resistance to law enforcement was a unquantifiable but real complication for navigating this historically ugly period. It’s hardly necessary to point out that mental health support was not a priority in many agencies.

| RELATED: State your case: Staffing assignments during shelter-in-place orders

Lessons learned

Harvard researchers were asked about the future of pandemics and what might have been learned from COVID. Their varied responses were only mildly reassuring about the next, inevitable disease outbreak. The risk of a pandemic is routinely cited as about 2% probability in any given year. Meanwhile, public safety agencies need contingency plans for a variety of natural and manmade disasters, biohazards, and terrorism leaving little room for attention to another pandemic. The relief of looking at COVID in the rear view mirror and pandemic fatigue are also roadblocks to pre-planning. Besides ordering a boatload of gloves and masks, what else is there to do?

While many large police agencies have used non-law enforcement response, online reporting, and prioritizing calls, smaller agencies remain full-service. These agencies should be prepared with strategies to reduce personal contact during disease outbreaks. More mundane flareups such as influenza outbreaks should activate protective procedures, both for officer safety and for maintaining a sustainable staffing level.

Aside from the tactical and logistical aspects of working during a public health emergency, the legal and ethical aspects are strained as well. What statutory authority does your local public health entity have over the citizenry? What statutory authority does that convey to law enforcement? What discretion do officers have in enforcing what may be an unreasonable or unconstitutional order? What rights do officers have to refuse consent for preventive medication as a condition of employment?

There are enough things for police leaders to worry about but facing another pandemic, unfortunately, has to be added to that list.

COVID-19 & policing: A five-year review checklist for police leaders

☐ Have we conducted an after-action review of our agency’s response to COVID-19 to identify strengths and weaknesses?

☐ What policies and procedures do we need to update to better prepare for future public health emergencies?

☐ Do we have a stockpile of PPE and other critical supplies, and how are we managing long-term storage and replenishment?

☐ How did pandemic-related staffing shortages impact our operations, and what contingency plans can we implement to prevent future disruptions?

☐ What lessons did we learn about maintaining public trust during health mandates and enforcement actions?

☐ How can we better balance officer discretion, legal authority and ethical considerations when enforcing public health directives?

☐ Are our quarantine, sick leave, and exposure policies clear, fair, and effective in maintaining staffing levels and officer well-being?

☐ What proactive strategies can we implement to ensure policing efforts — such as crime prevention and community engagement — continue during crises?

☐ How can we strengthen partnerships with public health, emergency management, and local government for a more coordinated response?

☐ What long-term wellness initiatives should we implement to address the physical and mental health impacts of COVID-19 on officers?

From the Police1 archives

• COVID-19: An 8-step response plan for police leaders
• A letter to the American public: Public safety will shine during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Policing in a panic: COVID-19 response lessons agencies should immediately implement
• How patrol officers can prioritize safety during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Reader poll: 92% say LEOs should get hazard pay during the COVID-19 crisis
• Communicating through COVID-19: 6 tips for public safety social media outreach

Click here for more Police1 coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic