With officers among the first responders on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, Nassau County's police union wants to make sure its officers are protected.

Nassau PBA leaders held a news conference Tuesday calling on police administration to do more when it comes to protecting officers. Officials say 111 county, city and village police officers have tested positive for COVID-19.

The PBA says its members seem to have enough personal protection equipment, but they're asking for additional sanitation of prisoner areas, better overall procedures, decontamination areas and places to dispose of used PPE.

"They're being exposed every day. The equipment that we have, whether it's the gowns or masks or rubber gloves, they're now infected and they have to get rid of them," says James McDermott, of the Nassau PBA. "We need to have bags to get rid of them somewhere else. We don't have that yet. So the exposure here is real, the threat is real. Our cops, they're not superhuman. "

Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder says the health and safety of his officers is paramount.

The county just announced that it obtained thousands of COVID-19 rapid tests that will be given to officers who need them.

 

The department adds that it's going above and beyond, cleaning areas that officers and prisoners use often.

"We spray our cars, we do about 50-60 cars a day, we have all the protective gear in the cars," says Ryder. "We ask the cars to be wiped down. We put wipes, we put sanitizer in the car, we go to great lengths to make sure our members are protected."