Leaders And Law Enforcement At Odds Over COVID Vaccine

Fights implicit COVID vaccine mandates are leaving constabulary officers and firefighters astir the state disconnected the job.

In Chicago, much than a twelve officers are already stripped of constabulary powers for refusing to study their vaccination presumption to the city. Up to a 3rd of the city's 12,000 officers could beryllium successful usurpation of the requirement. 

"This is truly an upside-down world," said John Catanzara, president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police. "We should not beryllium doing this to our members. And the ones that are partaking successful this process volition ne'er retrieve their reputation."

Now, the combat is successful the courts.

In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio is requiring that constabulary and firefighters beryllium vaccinated by the extremity of adjacent week. 

"We are present to support you safe, truthful you tin support everyone other safe," helium said. "My extremity is to extremity the COVID epoch erstwhile and for all. It tin beryllium done, but lone if we support pressing on."

The metropolis says much than 70% of workers impacted by the request already person the shot. But the metropolis is trying to entice the holdouts.

"We're present going to connection a peculiar inducement for the metropolis employees who are not yet vaccinated: an further $500 incentive," de Blasio said.

"What's truly astatine involvement here, what's truly astatine hazard is the information of the community," said Don Jorgenson, president of the Tucson Police Officers Association.

Vaccination rates are precocious among archetypal responders successful Tucson, Arizona. But national leaders determination accidental much than 100 could suffer their jobs for failing to get the shot. 

"One of our divisions has astir 65 officers for the full division," Jorgenson said. "So you're looking astatine eliminating astir an full part of officers successful the city."

There's a looming situation for the country's nationalist information arms arsenic bureau leaders plead with employees to simply get the shot.