Raleigh Police Department waited week before telling officers of colleague's positive coronavirus test

The unidentified officer isn't a patrol officer, but he works at the North District Station, at 6716 Six Forks Road, which is the department's headquarters facility.

"The actions by the city appear to violate established procedures," John Midgette, executive director of the North Carolina Police Benevolent Association, said in an email.

Midgette noted that both federal health care privacy laws and an executive order issued last month by Gov. Roy Cooper allow for the disclosure of positive cases "to prevent, control or investigate COVID-19." Also, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services authorizes such disclosure when "first responders may be at risk" of infection, he said.

The Raleigh Police Department referred questions to city officials, who said only police department leaders could explain the delayed notification.

Many officers are upset that they weren't told of the positive test in a timely manner because they cannot exercise "social distancing" when stopping a car, responding to a crash or making an arrest.

"Just the job itself, they're on the front lines, and they're dealing with this every day," said Rick Armstrong, who heads Teamsters Local 391, which represents the majority of Raleigh officers. "It's a lack of transparency from the department, and it's shameful that they failed to provide this information in a timely manner for their officers."

Armstrong said one officer he knows has diabetes and worries that he was in close contact with the infected officer because he is at higher risk of COVID-19, the illness associated with the virus.

"That's a serious issue for him – life-threatening," Armstrong said. "It was a huge concern for many officers who feel like they may have been in close contact with the officer. It was a really big deal, and it still is for many of the officers.

"I think employers should notify their workers immediately once they find out there is a positive COVID in the workplace," he added. "They don't have to notify names and specifics, but they should at lead notify employees there's been a positive test so employees can take precautions. That didn't happen. That needs to happen. It is what should happen."

It's unclear whether other officers are now in quarantine, and if so, how many.

The infected officer hasn't been on the job since about March 20 or 22, according to the April 7 email, and he is recovering at home.

"This is the only one we know of right now, but it does lead you to wonder, is there another one they're not telling us [about]?" Armstrong said.

City crews cleaned the North District building on April 2, according to the email.

"We understand that you may have questions and concerns, and we will update you as we move forward," Galloway said in the email. "We reiterate our commitment to the health and safety of our workforce. This is new territory for all of us, and we welcome your feedback and suggestions as we move forward together."

Face masks and gloves are "readily available" to Raleigh police officers," department spokeswoman Dia Harris said in an email. The officers have received guidelines on when to don the protective gear and how to dispose of it, as well as guidelines for putting face masks on anyone in custody who says they have been diagnosed with or exposed to the virus, she said.