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DOWAGIAC — For many Americans, their morning routines currently consist of waking up, pulling on a pair of clean sweatpants and hopping on a Zoom call from the safety of their homes to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

However, Officer Mackenzie Prins’ routine requires her to put on a black uniform, hop in a patrol car and interact with the community.

Prins, of the Dowagiac Police Department, is just one of thousands of police officers across the state still reporting for duty in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, as police officers were declared essential workers by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” executive order. The order required all non-essential businesses to close.

Now, Prins and all local officers are working to adapt to a new environment while working to the community safe.

Call volume at the Dowagiac Police Department has been down since the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order went into effect. However, Prins said officers with the police department are facing a new anxiety — the uncertainty of not knowing when they could be exposed to COVID-19.

“It’s been slow because we don’t have the call volume we usually have, but it’s also been scary because you never know if someone has the virus or not,” Prins said as she stood outside the police station, ensuring at least 6 feet between herself and others. “We have to make sure we are taking extra precautions and keeping our distance when we can.”

To help protect officers, the Dowagiac Police Department has implemented new safety guidelines that include having officers carry masks and personal protection equipment, according to Director of Public Safety Steve Grinnewald.

“We are doing everything we can to ensure we don’t get sick so we can continue to serve,” Grinnewald said.

Despite the fear of contracting COVID-19, Prins, who has been on the force for about a year, said she is passionate about her work, which drives her to continue to serve in the wake of the pandemic.

“Right now, we are all remaining positive to get through this,” Prins said. “The community has been really supportive, which has been awesome. … Even just a ‘thank you’ means a lot.”

Grinnewald said he has been proud of the way his officers, including Prins, have been handling the COVID-19 crisis.

“I want the public to get to know our younger officers and see that they are doing good work,” Grinnewald said. “I’ve been doing [police work] for 30 years and have never seen anything like this. Now, here is [Prins], one of youngest officers, brand new, and she is facing this. … Since starting last May, we’ve seen her confidence grow, and she is turning into a great officer and handling all this well.”

Due to constantly changing mandates and recommendations surrounding COVID-19, when Prins hangs up her uniform at night, she is unsure what the next day of will look like. Despite this, she said she is prepared to take on the challenge — with a little help from the community.

“People should stay in the house if they don’t need to go out,” she said. “The longer this goes on, the more the virus spreads, the longer we stay in isolation, the harder it is going to make it for us to do our job.”