In this March 16, 2020, photo a North Charleston police officer carries a protective mask around his gun belt while working traffic at Roper St. Francis' North Charleston office in North Charleston, S.C. The coronavirus has the potential to profoundly change law enforcement in the U.S. as police departments are shifting resources and changing how they police while the virus strikes. (AP Photo/Mic Smith, File)
March 19, 2020
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Health and safety: Police shift priorities as crisis grows
NEW YORK (AP) — Police officers in Fort Worth and Denver have stopped arresting people for some low-level crimes. The district attorney in Brooklyn is declining to prosecute them. And many courthouses across the U.S. are closing their doors, delaying trials and canceling jury duty, as the coronavirus disrupts even the most fundamental pillars of American life.