Columbus residents could face legal action for non-essential travel during COVID-19, mayor says

Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson in a video announcement Thursday again asked citizens to continue to stay at home or risk being cited by Columbus public safety officers, but backpedaled on Friday when asked if local law enforcement practices regarding COVID-19 protocol would be changing.

“Travel is confined to essential travel only,” Henderson said in the video Thursday, citing Gov. Brian Kemp’s shelter in place order, which currently extends through April 30. “We will have our public safety officers out this weekend and going forward asking the questions, asking what your essential business is, why you’re on the road. If your answer doesn’t meet some of the requirements of the governor’s order, you may be cited.”

But Henderson said Friday that his statement does not reflect any change to local law enforcement’s approach since the governor first ordered the shelter in place.

Under the order, residents are allowed to go to work, to buy food, to visit a pharmacy, to get to medical appointments and to care for family. They also can visit state parks and go for a walk or a run.

They are to avoid gathering in groups of 10 or more, and they are to stay at least six feet apart around others.

Both Columbus police officers and Muscogee County Sheriff’s deputies have the ability to cite citizens. Violating the governor’s order is a misdemeanor and those cited could see fines or jail time.

“Locally, nothing is changing, we’re not doing roadblocks, we’re not stopping cars to check and see where they’re going, we’re not even hassling people. We’re still approaching it the way we always have, and that is to educate and urge people to refrain from going out any more than they have to,” he said. “But if they see somebody who’s flagrantly and repeatedly violating the governor’s order, and they are disrespectful to a police officer, my comment in the video was they may be cited.”

Henderson said he doesn’t believe anyone in Columbus has been ticketed for violating the governor’s order yet.

Muscogee County Sheriff Donna Tompkins said none of her deputies have issued such citations either as far as she is aware.

Tompkins said she hadn’t seen or heard Henderson’s video, but that she wants to encourage everyone to continue to comply with the governor’s order to keep the number of positive COVID-19 cases down.

“As far as my instructions to my deputies, no we’re not pulling cars over just to ask them where they’re going,” she said. “We’re still responding to complaints and we are getting complaints about people congregating in the parks or particular houses...we’ve had a couple of calls to churches but they were within the guidelines that the governor had put out. I’m going to do what the governor says to do.”

A call to Police Chief Ricky Boren had not been returned at the time of this story’s publication.

Henderson’s reminder about citations comes as Muscogee County continues to see a rise in coronavirus cases, with 80 new cases reported this week, totaling 207 positive test results so far in the county.

Henderson said it’s important to monitor those numbers, as a certain percentage will translate to hospitalizations.

“That is our concern is whether or not the hospitals will be able to handle the surge level that comes in sometime in the next five to 10 days here in Columbus,” Henderson said. “We are as prepared as we can be right now...in the unlikely event that the surge does overwhelm (hospital) resources, we do have planned backup situations which will allow us to stand up additional beds in less than a day.”

The Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office is also implementing further measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and protect city employees and citizens.

A Ledger-Enquirer reporter on Friday observed sheriff’s deputies knocking on doors and windows of stores at The Landings shopping center.

Tompkins said she wasn’t aware of that particular event, but that deputies are being asked to frequently check businesses that are closed due to the pandemic in case they have been burglarized or otherwise harmed.

“We have encouraged them to make those business checks just for the security of the business,” she said.

According to a Facebook post from the sheriff, starting Monday April 20, anyone entering the Government Center through the public entrance check point will have their temperature screened.

Those whose temperature measures 100.4 degrees or higher will be denied access to the building, the post states. Security at the check point will provide those who are denied access with contact information for the department they are seeking to do business with to work out alternative options.

This story was originally published April 17, 2020 at 3:35 PM.