March 19, 2020 9:45 a.m.
Officials with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office have announced that some additional operational changes have been implemented due to the spread of COVID-19.
Sergeant Brad O’Dell said all in person inmate visitation has been suspended until further notice. O’Dell said DCSO recognizes that this a hardship on inmates and their loved ones, but believes it is a necessary precaution to ensure the welfare of the inmate population as well as the staff working inside the facility. He said DCSO has worked with its telephone vendor and arranged for inmates to have two phone calls per week free of charge. The two calls reset every Sunday. Additional calls or video chat is available for a fee by going to www.icssolutions.com. O’Dell said video visitation can be done from any electronic device equipped with a webcam.
The Records Division is suspending all public fingerprinting services until further notice. That includes pre-employment and background fingerprinting.
O’Dell said residents are encouraged to go to www.dcso.com before coming to the lobby as many answers to questions and forms may be available online. Additional inquiries can be made by calling 440-4450.
Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin said his commitment is to provide for the peace and security of citizens and visitors. He said the community has endured extremely difficult circumstances in the past. He said residents are “some of the most giving and caring individuals in the county”. He said, “I encourage everyone to remain calm, to follow the recommendations of health officials and to look out for one another”. He said “together we will prevail, just as we have in the past”.
DCSO will continue to provide law enforcement services 24/7, even during this emergency, according to the release.