Several Utah police departments have pleaded with criminals to stop their “nefarious” behavior in light of increasing amounts of coronavirus cases in the US. Is this all one big joke?

It’s difficult to tell how seriously the US government is taking the coronavirus when politicians are urging people to quarantine themselves indoors, but state officials are using the virus as a punchline.

The Salt Lake City Police Department responded to the coronavirus by asking “all criminal activities/nefarious behavior to cease until further notice. We appreciate your anticipated cooperation in halting crime & thank criminals in advance.”

Due to the confirmed case of #COVIDー19 from community spread, SLCPD is asking all criminal activities/nefarious behavior to cease until further notice. We appreciate your anticipated cooperation in halting crime & thank criminals in advance. #SocialDistancingNow#behaveyourselfpic.twitter.com/JeQnQKdXAT — SLC Police Dept. (@slcpd) March 14, 2020

Replies to the tweet imply the department’s request was a poor attempt at humor — why a police department feels the need to be joking through an official account remains a mystery, especially during the national state of emergency. Worse still, the department’s history gives an uneasy context to everything.

Best to postpone indefinitely at this point. #StayHome — SLC Police Dept. (@slcpd) March 14, 2020

A past report on Utah police found officers were at one point responsible for more homicides than gangs or drug dealers. That report was based on information gathered between 2010 and 2014, but the police force found controversy more recently too.

In 2018, Utah police killed 19 people and shot 30. The amount of deaths at the hands of officers was a recent record, and so bad the Utah Attorney General’s Office launched an investigation.

Never mind the grim state record, Utah Police Departments in Heber and Orem City made similar jokes on crime ‘bans’ while the authorities combat the spread of the coronavirus. Separately, Police Departments in Wisconsin and Ohio have also made pleas to criminals.

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