East Ridge Police Chief Stan Allen said, due to the threat of the coronavirus, that non-emergency cases would be handled by phone.
He said, "As our community continues to feel the increased impact of the coronavirus, the East Ridge Police Department feels it is important to share with you what we are doing to help ensure the health and safety of our citizens and first responders.
To this end, the department will temporarily be modifying how we respond to calls for service. Any call that is non-emergeny in nature will be handled by telephone if at all possible.
"Examples of non-emergency calls that will be handled by phone include identity theft, electronic harassment, delayed disorders, thefts with no available evidence, etc. An officer will respond on any call where there is a crime in progress, vehicle crashes, thefts with obtainable evidence, and any call with an injury.
"To make a report of a non-emergency incident, call the East Ridge dispatcher at 423-622-1725 to leave your name and a phone number where an officer can call you and take your report. We thank everyone for their cooperation and support."