Police extend vaccine mandate policy
All police employees will now be required to be vaccinated under a policy announced yesterday.
Additionally, all contractors, volunteers, suppliers and new employees who enter police sites will need to have had their first dose by February 11, and second by March 11, under the new policy.
The mandate does not cover anyone visiting a police station or police site to access essential police services, such as frontcounter services, or people brought to a station as victims and witnesses to crime.
People held in police custody suites are also exempt.
The Police Vaccination Order came into effect on Monday, requiring all constabulary staff, authorised officers and recruits to have had at least one dose.
The majority of police staff, 10,510 out of about 14,000 employees were covered by this order. Of that group, 98.38 per cent had received at least their first dose, meaning about 171 staff had not complied with the mandate, police confirmed.
Vaccination rates across the organisation were already high – 96 per cent of all staff having received at least one dose and 94 per cent two doses.
Deputy Police Commissioner of leadership and capability, Tania Kura, said police were committed to ensuring its staff and the people it engaged with were safe.
‘‘Our frontline staff work in close proximity with police employees and this policy will provide safety for our employees while reinforcing the safety of our frontline staff and of our communities,’’ Kura said.
The new policy was approved by police’s executive leadership team yesterday and followed a consultation period with staff in December and feedback from the Police Association and the Police Managers’ Guild.
Ahead of the February 11 deadline, police would be communicating with staff affected and encouraging those who were yet to be vaccinated to get their first dose.