GASTONIA, N.C. — As the COVID-19 pandemic continues in the Charlotte region, police departments are adjusting their policies to balance public safety needs and public health concerns.
Gastonia Police officers are now taking reports for non-emergency calls by phone.
This includes crimes like stolen license plates, larcenies with no crime scene processing and frauds that don't require evidence to be picked up.
Chief Robert Helton said the department is still responding in-person to emergencies, including last night's murder of a 20-year-old man at the intersection of Yellowstone and Brownstone Courts.
"Our level of service is not changing," Chief Helton said. "We'll still take the report. We'll still do the things that we need to do, but just that initial report, that initial contact will come in through our tele-service or our online reporting."
Smaller departments, like Lowell Police Department, have shut down their lobbies and asked people to call for help.
Gaston County's courts are open, but nearly everything is postponed except emergency hearings and first appearances.
For more information on Gastonia Police's tele-service and online crime reporting, click here.