Peoria County Sheriff Brian Asbell said people have largely complied with Gov. J.B. Pritzker's stay-at-home order so far, but he is seeing increasing signs of impatience. "We're monitoring social media activity. There's a sense sometimes of social unrest. And again we're just going to be consistent in our message and say please, for us to eventually get out of this we all have to work together as a community," said Asbell.
Asbell said law enforcement's primary role is educating people about the social distancing mandates. As the governor continually modifies and updates his order, he says part of the job includes getting answers on how businesses and groups can comply. Sometimes, Asbell says he's ultimately the one making that call.
The Peoria Police Department has responded to almost 250 calls reporting non-compliance with the governor's stay-at-home order since it began in March. Peoria Police Chief Loren Marion said there haven't been issues so far, but that may change as summer approaches.
"We've been very fortunate that with the weather, the weather's been in our favor as law enforcement. Once we see a break in the weather, I think that's going to draw more people outside, as well," the chief said.
Marion says the city has a good process in place to manage compliance among multiple departments. Officers document incidents, and forward them to the state's attorney for review or potential charges if deemed necessary. The governor's modified stay-at-home order runs through May 30.
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