Police Response During COVID-19 Pandemic

As a result of COVID-19 and to ensure that we can continue to provide all required services as needed, the Denville Police Department will now accept certain reports over the phone.  These types of reports include non-emergent calls that do not require evidence to be collected, an on-scene investigation to be conducted or otherwise require an officer to respond to a scene. Residents having incidents meeting this criteria should call the department at 973-627-4900 ext. 0 and provide their name and telephone number to the dispatcher.  An officer will call the complainant back as soon as possible to determine if a physical response is needed or the report can be completed over the phone.  If the report can be completed over the phone, the officer will obtain the pertinent information and provide the complainant with an incident report number.

Although police headquarters will remain open 24 hours a day throughout the course of the pandemic, all residents are strongly encouraged to contact police headquarters at 973-627-4900 ext. 0 before coming to headquarters.  If we can help you without requiring your response, we will do so.  In addition, any residents needing to pick up a police report should contact the Records Bureau at 973-627-4900 ext. 2 before coming to headquarters.  Crash reports are available online and arrangements may be able to be made to send any other reports electronically.

In addition, all of our officers have been provided with the applicable personal protective equipment (PPE) and will be practicing social distancing.  Please do not be alarmed if you encounter any of our officers wearing PPE, this is to ensure their safety and well-being so that they can continue to provide necessary police services for the duration of the pandemic.

The goal of these temporary procedures is to help decrease unnecessary contact and reduce the risk of person-to-person transmission of COVID-19 to our officers and the public at large, especially those who may be more susceptible to contracting the virus.  There is no need to panic, but there are a lot of reasons to take this seriously and follow the advice of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and Health Department in order to "flatten the curve" as intended.

We also want to reassure you that if you contact 9-1-1 with an emergency, you will continue to receive the same professional response from our officers that you are accustomed to.  We must do our best to limit unnecessary exposure to our officers so that they can continue to protect and serve the township and all of our residents during this time.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding.  Please continue to follow the advice of the CDC regarding social distancing and hand-washing, as well as limiting contact with large groups.  More importantly, please stay safe and we wish all of you good health.