On the one hand, there is mounting evidence that the COVID-19 vaccination efficacy declines substantially with time.
On the other hand, FBI data shows that violent crime is surging across this nation.
So what are progressive governors and mayors suppose to do? Mandate vaccinations for police officers and fire those that don’t comply…of course.
The Seattle Police Department (SPD) said 292 sworn officers have not shown proof of their COVID-19 vaccination status as of Oct. 6, one day after the department’s deadline….In August, the city of Seattle adopted Gov. Jay Inslee’s mandate that state employees and health care workers be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18 or be fired. There is not a COVID-19 testing option, but employees can apply for religious or medical exemptions.Oct. 4 was the last day to receive the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine and still make the deadline to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18.
Essentially, that means Seattle is poised to lose about one-third of its police force. October 4th was selected because it would take two weeks for the second booster to be “fully protective” and would align with the hard deadline.
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkin (D) said in August that all city employees will have to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18, unless they have a religious or medical exemption.The policy was in line with a state mandate that Inslee announced in August, which does not allow for employees to opt for weekly testing. Some state agencies have sent employees who have not submitted proof of vaccination termination notices.In a letter to SPD staff last week, police chief Adrian Diaz warned that Oct. 5 was the deadline for police staff to submit proof of vaccination.Diaz also said that Oct. 4 was the last day to receive a second dose of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, to meet the state’s guidelines.“At the moment – we have to assume we have hundreds of unvaccinated individuals based on the information submitted,” Diaz wrote. “This could create a disruption to unit of assignments.”
It must be remembered that Mayor Jenny Durkan dismissed the summer 2020 BLM riots, derided the police, and supported the infamous city autonomous zone. She even thought Seattle “could have the summer of love.”
In a not entirely unrelated matter, the area’s King County Council’s Committee recently passed a motion for the county to take ownership of City Hall Park in Seattle’s iconic Pioneer Square neighborhood. County officials feel they are better poised to deal with the crime and homelessness.
The motion passed the committee by a 7-2 vote, with Councilmembers Girmay Zahilay and Joe McDermott voting “no.” The motion is expected to go to a full council vote in a couple of weeks.Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles co-sponsored the motion and said King County is better prepared and has the financial resources to address certain safety issues the Seattle Police Department (SPD) has not been able to make a priority.Kohl-Welles blamed the SPD’s staffing shortages and pointed to federal funding to help with homelessness. The area remains closed and fenced off as crews work to restore the park and make repairs.More than 70 people living in tents at the park were relocated in August after a man allegedly attempted to rape a woman in the restroom of the King County Superior Courthouse, which is located across the street.
I am sure there are plenty of mandate-free cities, counties, and states in this country that would love to have experienced police officers join.
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