Cal/OSHA Cites Santa Rosa Police Department for COVID-19 Violations
Police Officer MaryLou Armer Died of COVID-19 Complications in March
Santa Rosa, California – The Santa Rosa Police Department has been cited by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health for allegedly failing to take measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 resulting in the death of one officer. Santa Rosa Police Detective MaryLou Armer died of COVID-19 complications on March 31.
According to Cal/OSHA’s findings, MaryLou Amour had been exposed at work to a colleague who had known symptoms of COVID-19. She was the first police officer to have died from complications of COVID-19 in California.
The department was slapped with a $32,000 in fine in connection with Detective Armor’s death and eight other COVID-19 cases.
SRPD allegedly failed to report the officer’s illness and those of other officers. The department also failed to comply with proper screening procedures in addition to letting symptomatic officers return to work without testing.
8 Other Police Officers Tested Positive for COVID-19
“Cal-OSHA does not issue citations without evidence of health and safety violations,” the agency’s spokesperson said. “Workers had not been sufficiently protected. Employers are expected to take appropriate steps to protect them.”
Responding to the allegations on Tuesday, Chief Rainer Navarro said “The recommendations and guidelines have changed. And every single time there is a recommendation to change, we put it into place. All of these alleged violations happened early in the pandemic.”
Chief Navarro said the department had not recorded positive cases since March.
The police union has not commented on the citations.
