Kern County Sheriff Office Public Safety Response to COVID-19
The Kern County Sheriff’s Office is committed to serving the community during this pandemic. National, state and local health emergencies have been declared in response to COVID-19 (coronavirus) to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and flatten the curve.
The Sheriff’s Office is asking for the community’s assistance with safeguarding the community from unnecessary in-person contact and to ensure deputies are available to respond to in-progress and life-threatening calls for service.
Until further notice the Sheriff’s Office will no longer dispatch a deputy to take the initial report for the following crimes unless they are in progress:
• Fraud and Financial Crimes
• Harassing Phone Calls
• Identity Theft
• Lost Property
• Shoplifting
• Petty Theft
• Theft from Vehicle
• Vandalism
• Vandalism of a Vehicle
If the above crimes are not in progress, the reporting party will be directed to use our online reporting system to make a report. The only exceptions include if the reporting party is elderly, disabled, and/or otherwise does not have access to the internet. In those cases, the call will be entered for telephone contact only and will be handled as soon as staff is available.
To access the online reporting system, please go to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office home page at www.kernsheriff.org. On the main page, select the icon titled “Online Reporting.” Follow the instructions, and you will be able to process your report. https://www.kernsheriff.org/Reporting
Online reports will be reviewed, and any investigative leads will be followed up as soon as practical. Deputies will continue responding to in-progress calls and conducting appropriate follow-up regarding on-line reports and phone reports, including processing evidence and contacting suspects when applicable.
We encourage our community to use the online reporting system for other non-emergency reports as well to limit potential exposures during this time. The Kern County Sheriff’s Office is committed to the safety of our residents and visitors. We are implementing this practice to keep that commitment. We appreciate the community’s understanding and support as we all work through this emergency together.