Philadelphia police working to arrest bedbugs

A bedbug infestation is a worst nightmare at home, and at hotels, but what about the police station? Police have called an exterminator to the Harbison and Levick street station to deal with a possible case of bed bugs.

Fraternal Order of Police Vice President Roosevelt Poplar says the building is a busy one–with prisoners, and hundreds of officers from the 2nd and 15th Police Districts, and the Northeast Detective Division.

“The 15th District is a closed circuit facility which means that they do processing of prisoners and they all transport prisoners from that locations down to the Police Detention Unit,” said Poplar. “It’s possible that the bedbugs can travel either on a prisoner or on officers.”

Poplar says he saw cockroaches and other bugs on a recent visit, but no bedbugs. He says the bedbug problem is putting additional stress on police.

“To learn that a facility is infested and there’s a possibility that you may take it home to your family, your children–which was expressed to me several times by officers in the districts,” said Poplar. “The cost of treating the infestation or the bugs themselves, monetarily is costly for the officers.”

Poplar says officers across the city have been warned about the bugs.

Have you ever had a bad bed bug experience? What did you do do combat it? Have any advice for the police? Let us know in the comments below.