I think this is how the purge got started. Police in Philadelphia have been told to stop making arrests for non-violent crimes. The theory is that this will help limit unnecessary interaction of police officers with criminals, some of whom could be infected.
Beginning Tuesday as an attempt to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, Philadelphia police will delay arrests in crimes ranging from narcotics to theft to prostitution, Commissioner Danielle Outlaw informed commanders Tuesday.
Instead, suspects will be temporarily detained while officers can verify their identification. If they are not deemed a threat, they will be released and a warrant will be prepared for a future arrest. A detective will then submit an arrest affidavit to the district attorney’s office for approval.
