NCJ Number
213243
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 73 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2006 Pages: 14-18,20,22
Date Published
February 2006
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Using Delaware's experience as a case study, this article advises State and local police chiefs on the need to develop plans that address the law enforcement issues associated with the threat of pandemic influenza, specifically Avian Influenza H5N1 ("bird flu").
Abstract
The article provides a brief history of Delaware's 2004 experience with bird flu in poultry farms, followed by a description of the State's pandemic influenza plan and legal authority, along with communications needs. Under the Delaware Emergency Operations Plan, the Delaware State Police is the primary agency responsible for security and law enforcement in a state of emergency caused by a natural or man-made disaster. Before the declaration of a state of emergency, quarantine and isolation orders will be enforced in each jurisdiction by the municipal or county law enforcement agency. State police troops will provide support services when local agencies ask for assistance. Delaware has enacted the Intrastate Mutual Aid Compact, which permits State and local law enforcement agencies to cross in-State jurisdictional lines to provide or receive aid from neighboring local jurisdictions. Once an emergency has been declared by the governor, the Delaware State Police will coordinate law enforcement resources and establish a task force composed of representatives from each of the local law enforcement agencies affected by the disaster. Task force commanders will coordinate the emergency law enforcement response, the allocation of resources, and personnel assignments. Planning and response protocols pertain to the various stages of a pandemic. Sections of this article discuss legal authority and the court process, the transmission of information and effective communication, and ongoing law enforcement concerns.