New Zealand Police will be implementing a mandatory vaccination policy for all employees, contractors, volunteers, suppliers, new employees and visitors who work at or enter Police sites.
Vaccination rates across New Zealand Police are already high with 96% of all staff having received at least one dose and 94% having had two doses.
Everyone covered by the new policy will be required to have had their first COVID-19 vaccination by 11 February and to have had their second by 11 March.
Are you affected by the police mandate? Contact the Editor.
Anyone visiting a police station or police site to access essential police services (e.g. front-counter services) and people brought to a station for services in relation to enforcement and operational activities (e.g. victims and witnesses) are exempt from the policy. People held in Police custody suites are also not required to be vaccinated.
The majority of Police staff are already covered by the Police Vaccination Order which came into effect on 17 January and applies to constabulary staff, authorised officers and recruits.
“Police is committed to ensuring that our staff and the people we engage with are safe and vaccination is the best defence against COVID-19 and its variations,” said Deputy Police Commissioner Leadership and Capability Tania Kura.
“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.”
The new policy was approved by the Police Executive Leadership Team yesterday and follows a consultation period with staff in December and after feedback from the Police Association and the Police Managers’ Guild.
“We are committed to delivering the policing service that New Zealanders expect and deserve and to achieve this we need our staff to be vaccinated and protected against COVID-19,” said Deputy Commissioner Kura.
Ahead of the 11 February deadline, we will be communicating with staff affected and encouraging those who are yet to be vaccinated to get their first dose.
Absolutely insane. The sooner the relatively harmless Omicron spreads throughout the country the better.
Agreed. Lunatics throwing out all that experience when the pandemic is almost over.
They’ll all receive saline shots, bank on it.
The politicians need their praetorian guard after all.
Will also be an effective way to stymie any sympathy the cops might have had for any vax-hesitant folks, since they’ll say, “I took it and I’m fine, what’s all the fuss about?”
This’ll be necessary for later in the year when the protests increase as they tighten the mandate noose around our necks.
I feel very sorry for any police who feel coerced into taking the covid jab. As Omicron rips through highly vaccinated countries, it becomes increasingly clear that this is not really about public health any more, but about preserving a narrative that allows blame to be placed on the vaccine-free, rather than acknowledge failure of the vaccines and of public policy.
Great post
“…(e.g. victims and witnesses) are exempt from the policy. People held in Police custody suites are also not required to be vaccinated.” – You can guarantee this will change within three months…then it will be anyone who is not vaccinated will be carted off to a ‘police site’ for questioning and under the new rules will be vaccinated without recourse.
Investigation/charges filed: International Criminal Court (The Hague) Case number: OTP‐CR‐473/21