Local police departments are operating with modifications like reduced traffic enforcements to protect officers and community members from COVID-19 exposure.

Webster Police Chief Michael Shaw says the department has canceled their click it or ticket traffic enforcement shifts. The officer assigned to traffic is now working as a patrol officer. Chief Shaw says the decrease in traffic enforcement coincides with a decrease in the number of cars on the road, so it hasn't been very noticeable.

Chief Shaw, "If I had to put a percentage on it, I would say it's probably down to fifty to sixty percent, bearing in mind our officers were out there stopping a very high number of cars when they were answering calls, doing reports, and things like that. While that sounds like a lot, we're still doing a fair amount of police work. I would say that our arrests and summons are still up."

Chief Shaw says he has noticed traffic starting to increase in the last week as the number of positive COVID cases levels off. He hopes to ramp up traffic stops as a result.