UPDATED at 8:15 p.m.: Updated to include information about Dallas County’s response to the new coronavirus.

Collin County Sheriff Jim Skinner is asking police departments to keep petty criminals out of jail to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Instead of arresting people, he asked police to try citing and releasing those who commit some non-violent crimes.

“I ask you to use your best judgement on arrests and transports to the county jail,” Skinner said in a letter Wednesday to local police chiefs and county officials. “The day may come when circumstances force me to consider additional measures to protect public safety and the [Collin County Detention Facility]'s safe operation."

Skinner specifically pointed to Class C misdemeanors, low-level crimes that include petty theft, simple assault, possession of drug paraphernalia, public intoxication, disorderly conduct and trespassing on public property.

Local police chiefs say they will do their part for the public’s safety.

The Melissa Police Department always cites and releases with Class C misdemeanors, Police Chief Duane Smith said Thursday, although some charges like public intoxication may require an arrest. Prosper’s assistant chief, Scott Brewer, said they plan to “make arrests when it is appropriate,” and work with the sheriff’s office.

Anna Police Chief Jeff Caponera said it would be “irresponsible for me to not honor” Skinner’s request.

“We do not believe his request is unreasonable given the current situation,” Caponera said. “We understand that most inmates in the Collin County Detention Facility are there for the short term. The last thing we want is for an undiagnosed inmate to infect other inmates who we know will be released back into our communities, probably well before he or she is diagnosed.”

The letter mainly applies to smaller departments that depend on the county jail for holding arrestees. The town of Blue Ridge, for example, does not have its own police force and relies on Collin County Sheriff’s Office deputies.

Plano and Frisco have their own city jails and would not normally take people with Class C misdemeanor charges to the county jail.

About 50 people enter the county jail every day, Skinner said. In the letter, the sheriff said he didn’t want to restrict officers’ discretion, but he proposed questions to consider when arresting non-violent offenders.

“Would you arrest if you and your staff had to take custody and care for the person?” Skinner said. “You may decide that an arrest isn’t necessary to protect public safety."

Skinner said he would not turn arrestees away from the jail but said he “may be forced to consider measures to reduce the number of persons coming to the CCDF in order to reduce the risk of the spread of this disease."

The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office late Thursday announced it would suspend all in-person jail visitations in light of the ongoing coronavirus crisis. The suspension does not apply to visits by legal counsel and video visitation will be offered free of charge.

Dallas County already does not accept Class C misdemeanors to the jail who do not also have higher-level charges against them. Individuals also will not be allowed to turn themselves in at the Dallas County Jail lobby. Finally, the department said, all department training sessions have been postponed until a later date.

In Tarrant County, most local agencies also have their own facilities to house people who commit minor offenses. Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office Chief of Staff David McClelland said Thursday that every inmate is given a health screening and is checked by JPS Health Network officials if they have symptoms of COVID-19.

McClelland also said the jail is being disinfected multiple times a day, and guards are encouraging inmates to wash their hands multiple times a day as well. Hand sanitizer is contraband in state prisons and many Texas jails, due to its high alcohol content.

Staff writer Marc Ramirez contributed to this report.