The Marion County Sheriff’s Office is one of many law enforcement agencies that has had to reassess some procedures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sheriff Jason Sandholdt says that the jail population is lower, and that arrests for non-violent crimes have been greatly reduced since the start of the pandemic. He says finding effective ways to enforce the law have become a topic of discussion.

“Across the country, it has been looked at, in regards to how we do things. Ultimately, you still have to hold people accountable. At what level of crime, or what level of accountability. Is someone just going to show up for court a month and a half later, is that really going to hold them accountable, or they going to drive while suspended the next day and possibly kill somebody when they shouldn’t be driving. It’s that balance. You have to truly look at what is an effective deterrent from someone breaking the law.”

Sandholdt stresses that people will still go to jail if warranted, and that the department will try to work with people on non-violent crimes at the discretion of the officer.