NW Illinois News

Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle says his department is still adjusting to the realities of the COVID-19 crisis.

When VanVickle scaled back traffic enforcement early in the pandemic to protect his deputies from coming into contact with the virus or passing it on to others, increased complaints forced him to return deputies to the roads with additional safeguards, according to the Ogle County News.

“Things were getting dangerous,” VanVickle said in the article.

Ogle County Sheriff Brian VanVickle | https://www.oglecounty.org/

The burden on the department has been felt in other ways as well, as employee vacations were canceled and travel was limited in order to mitigate the chance of exposure, he said.

‘We’re a small organization, so we have to be careful,” he said.

Additionally, visitation to the jail remains limited. The county jail was closed to visitors on March 13 and all visitation is now done remotely, according to the Ogle County News.

For intake, inmates are screened for temperatures and asked about their potential COVID-19 exposure. Those brought in on out-of-county warrants are kept separated from the jail population until they are transported to the requesting locality.

Adding to the responsibilities for VanVickle during the pandemic is his role on the Ogle County Emergency Operations Team, according to the article. Though the Emergency Operations Center was only activated through mid-May, the team continues to work toward keeping the community safe. 

The group's efforts include such things as ensuring local schools have the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need for the coming year.

“We put in an additional PPE request at the end of last week,” VanVickle said. “We have a good supply.”