Danville police chief asks residents, businesses to follow shelter in place order

DANVILLE — The police chief took to Facebook on Saturday morning to ask residents and businesses in his Contra Costa County town to respect the Bay Area’s shelter-in-place order, adopted in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Since Monday, the department has been receiving calls about residents and businesses violating the rule, which closed all businesses except those considered essential, such as grocery stores and pharmacies, Police Chief Allan Shields wrote. Residents are asked to stay home except for essential trips, although walks outside and visits to open space are allowed as long as they maintain at least 6 feet of distance from each other.

“Many non-essential businesses are choosing to continue to operate and do so in ways that are clearly placing people at risk by gathering, working in close groups, and having frequent physical contact with one another,” Shields wrote.

Among the violators, he wrote, are small gyms, hairdressers and parents having playdates in parks and play areas with multiple children, he wrote. The department has tried to contact violators to educate them about the rules; sending an officer out is the last resort.

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Coronavirus glossary: Terms that became part of our daily dialogue in the past 6 months “Sending officers to make personal contact is something that we are trying to avoid as it puts both them and the rest of the community at risk,” Shields wrote, adding that police officers and other first responders don’t have the option to stay home or work from home.

San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia expressed a similar sentiment at a news conference Friday, adding that repeated violators in that city could face misdemeanor fines, as well as business license and health code sanctions starting next week.

“We’re not going to stay educational for long if people aren’t paying attention to this,” Garcia said.

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