Chicago Cops Who Retire Instead of Getting Vaccine Might Lose Benefits

Chicago Cops Who Retire Instead of Getting Vaccine Might Lose Benefits

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown threatened to deny retirement benefits to cops who choose to retire instead of complying with the COVID vaccine mandate:

On Sunday, Chicago Police brass issued a memo that threatens those who do not comply with Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s COVID-19 vaccination policy with a disciplinary investigation that could result in the termination of officers who refuse to get the vaccine — but the agency’s largest police union, the Fraternal Order of Police, in its own memo to officers maintains the order is “invalid.”

The police memo, sent Sunday night by a member of Superintendent David Brown’s office staff, also threatens officers who might choose to retire rather than get the vaccine. It says: “sworn members who retire while under disciplinary investigations may be denied retirement credentials.”

The memo continues the drama between the cops and Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Local Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara cannot tell members of the union to not comply with the mandate due to a restraining order.

The FOP asked the court to tell the city it needs “to engage in arbitration over the vaccine reporting requirement” since “it’s a new condition of employment improperly imposed without collective bargaining.”

The union lawyers claimed the police not reporting their vaccination status does not make them a “clear and present danger” to the city’s health and safety.

The restraining order did not stop the FOP from responding:

The FOP, in response, sent a document to its members that provides language officers can use should they be asked to go to Internal Affairs and given a direct order to report their vaccination status through the city portal, according to multiple law enforcement sources.

“Complying with this INVALID order and the violation of MY Bargaining, Constitutional and Civil Rights has furthermore caused me severe anxiety while challenging both my religious and moral beliefs. I am in fact complying with this because I am being forced to do so under complete duress and threats of termination,” the document reads.

If a supervisor gives a member a direct order then that member should “have that supervisor add their name to the FOP-provided document.” The FOP encouraged the members to keep a copy and send another to the union.

A source told The Chicago Tribune the union told members to use body cameras to record encounters.

Chicago has about 72% of its cops vaccinated, but less than 65% did not take it.

The top brass already threatened to discipline or fire cops who do not have the vaccine. Catanzara reminded Lightfoot that if she enforces the mandate the city could be without 50% of its force.

Chicago’s crime and violence are skyrocketing. Imagine the city without its full force.

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