#Westport CT– The Westport Police Department has always been and continues to be a service-oriented agency committed to protecting our community and prioritizing the safety of our residents and visitors. It has become apparent that the COVID-19 outbreak is an unprecedented public health crisis; one that will necessitate the modifications of our current operations in the interest of furthering the above goal. With that in mind, effective immediately and until further notice, the Westport Police Department has implemented some important changes to our current operations in the interest of protecting both our public and our officers alike from the spread of this illness.

We encourage those requiring our services to contact us via telephone rather than traveling to the police department in person, since under only certain special circumstances will visitors be granted access beyond the main lobby of our headquarters. Calls made to our non-emergency and emergency lines will continue to be answered as they always have been. Callers should now expect that the operator will ask a series of questions to determine the nature and details of the call in order to determine whether or not officers are required to respond. Officers will continue to respond to crimes in progress, violent offenses, and medical emergencies. If the call does not meet the criteria for response based on the screening questions but requires follow-up, the call taker will ascertain pertinent information from the caller and log the complaint. This complaint will then be assigned to an officer or detective who will then remotely conduct a follow-up investigation.

In addition to the above, wherever possible the Westport Police Department reminds our residents that they can also utilize our online reporting system for many non-emergency situations. Incidents that can be reported in this manner are as follows:

 Harassing Phone Call
 Damage to Motor Vehicle
 Identity Theft
 Lost Property
 Theft
 Vandalism
 Vehicle Burglary
 Vehicle Tampering

The link below includes further information about what types of reports can be filed in this manner, reporting guidelines, answers to frequently asked questions and a link to the portal in which these can be filed. https://www.westportct.gov/government/departments-a-z/police-department/report-a-crime-online

The records division has been partially closed and will no longer process requests at the window. We ask that you, therefore, do not travel to the police department seeking reports or with any other inquiries. All records related inquiries should be directed to (203) 341-6001. Please also note that civilian records personnel are currently working on limited hours. If unable to reach someone, please leave a message detailing the information you are seeking and expect that someone will return your call as soon as possible. Any requested records will be sent electronically to minimize contact. Railroad parking inquiries should continue to be directed to (203) 341-6052. Parking tickets should be paid or appealed online. As a reminder, motor vehicle accident reports can be retrieved from our online portal through the following link: https://www.westportct.gov/government/departments-a-z/police-department/online-services/online- mv-accident-reports.

Lastly, fingerprinting services are suspended indefinitely. No appointments will be accepted until further notice. It is the responsibility of all of us to do our part to keep each other safe and healthy. We anticipate that these changes will be temporary, and look forward to restoring all normal services as soon as is feasible. Thank you to our citizens for their understanding and patience during this difficult time.

This press release is made possible by: