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Since COVID-19 closed most of the world, Washington County Sheriff Scott Owen said they are seeing more calls related to property crimes, mental health and domestic abuse.

With more people being cooped up at home, Sheriff Owen said people may get on other people's nerves. As a result, they do not get along like they should.

The WCSO has fielded burglary calls out the Ochelata area. Sheriff Owen said a Totah Communications warehouse has been broken into. He said they have leads but nothing substantial that they could turn loose of at the moment.

The Foster's grocery store has seen two burglaries and one attempted burglary. He said the suspect or suspects have stolen cigarettes and beer. More automobile burglaries have occurred in Washington County as well.

Business owners are asked to take extra precautions when closing their doors for the night. Sheriff Owen said that means locking doors, setting up cameras, or letting your neighbors know when you are closing up for the night. He said a community watch can do the most good when it comes to preventing crime.

As for cases against individual citizens, there have been no strong-armed robberies reported. Sheriff Owen said it is not out of the question that it could occur, and asks that everyone be aware of their surroundings.

As for mental health calls, deputies with the Sheriff's Office are trained to handle the tough task. Sheriff Owen said they are required to train for these cases every year. He said this is an ever-presence issue, and mental health calls are some of the more important calls they take.

The WCSO does their best to intercede when a mental health crisis arises. Sheriff Owen said they do what they can to get mental health patients to speak with a mental health professionl in real time. This is thanks to tablets that were given to the Sheriff's Office from Grand Lake Mental Health.

While the patient is speaking with a mental health professional, deputies are then able to come up with a plan to get the individual to self-admit to a necessary facility. If that doesn't work, the WCSO will come up with a plan to get the individual where they need to go.