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Police report surge in calls, extra patrols and mental‑health resources after tornado
Summary
Rolla police logged hundreds of calls after the tornado, including domestic‑violence and theft incidents; the department deployed extra night patrols and is directing residents to 988 and Compass Health for mental‑health support, the police chief said.
Chief Fagan told the council that communications and patrols were heavily taxed by the storm. Phelps County Communications processed hundreds of calls in the first 48 hours: 850 calls into communications the night the tornado hit through midnight, about 700 calls the following day, and 650 calls handled in a 24‑hour period, he said.
From 8 a.m. Friday through noon the police department itself handled 555 calls for service, including 29 domestic‑violence reports and several thefts, the chief said. Reported thefts included cash taken from a South Bishop business, fence panels found at Price Chopper, wiring taken from an Aptitude Internet trailer and an overdue rental Bobcat.
“We've had quite a few domestic violence calls … a lot of people are under stress right now,” Chief Fagan said, and he advised residents to use mental‑health resources. He said Compass Health provided contact numbers to officers and reminded the public that the national lifeline number 988 is available for immediate mental‑health assistance and crisis referrals.
The department has extra officers working night shifts to patrol areas still without power and to deter opportunistic thefts, and Fagan said officers were working long hours; some staff worked stretches of more than 24 hours during the initial response. The department is coordinating with other city departments to protect schools and other vulnerable facilities in neighborhoods still dark.
The chief asked residents to report suspicious activity, and to contact police if they see unsecured properties; he said officers are trying to focus on visibility in the hardest‑hit neighborhoods.
