WATERTOWN, S.D. (KWAT) — One of the challenges for police departments this year has been keeping their officers healthy in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

And it’s changed the way they operate.

Watertown Police Chief Lee McPeek explains.

Officers try to limit close face-to-face contact as much as they can.

McPeek says the fear is that you get one infected officer, and it spreads from there.

McPeek says the Watertown PD has been shorthanded a few officers at a time, but it has not created any major issues in terms of staffing.