Abby-Colby Police Chief Doesn't Agree With Governor's Order
Friday, April 17th, 2020 -- 11:25 AM
-Many people are currently criticizing Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers for extending the Safer at Home Order, including one Clark County Police Chief.Chief Jason Bauer of the Colby-Abbotsford Police Department shared a letter with Evers stating that, based on his research, the Safer at Home Order in our area was not necessary and asked it be lifted in Central Wisconsin. The letter went on to bring religion into the mix by stating "think of COVID-19 as the Devil. We are not supposed to fear the Devil, faith in God should prevail. I do not fear the Devil nor COVID-19. I believe COVID-19 has some politicians scared, resulting in bad decisions." Bauer did admit later that if he could change things he wouldn’t have included the statement about God and the Devil as it was intended to be a metaphor as the virus and the Devil are both invisible. The letter had been widely shared with many supporting it and many condemning.
Bauer stands by the letter and said that it’s just his opinion. At the time the letter was written, Clark County only had 8 confirmed cases of the virus. This week alone that number has risen to 12 with one person hospitalized because of it. Six people have recovered from the virus in Clark County. In neighboring Marathon County, as the Abby-Colby area sits on the county border, they’ve seen 15 positive cases and one person has died. This letter came just before Governor Evers extended the Safer at Home Order for another month. Baur said that he did receive approval from his superiors and city officials before sharing the letter. He also stated that he may not agree with the order, but he will continue to enforce it.
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