VicPD COVID-19 vaccination policy
In recognition of VicPD giving a literal thumbs up to anti-vaccination and white supremacist protests, here’s a post of FOI’d VicPD emails showing how it developed its policy that officers do not have to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and can instead take tests.
Highlights:
A Deputy Chief questioned whether vaccines limit spread;
VicPD relied on its union and other jurisdictions to shape policy;
Despite claiming high vaccination rates, VicPD says it didn’t want mandatory vaccines because it didn’t want to lose staff; and
Tests were free.
August 24, 2021: In response to Toronto Police’s mandatory vaccinations, Manak asked VicPD union head Len Hollingsworth if the union had given mandatory vaccines any thought. Manak’s own thoughts were redacted, but we are allowed to see his alleged goal is a safe work environment.
August 27: Deputy Chief Colin Watson emailed VicPD’s medical director, Dr. Mark Vu, about vaccines and transmission. He asked for feedback on his understanding that “there is not great evidence that vaccines have a notable influence on preventing spread.” Which is false.
Dr. Vu focused on transmission in breakthrough cases and agreed with Watson’s premise on those grounds, for Delta [that hasn't stood the test of time]. Watson and Deputy Chief Laidman set a meeting to discuss. In multiple emails Dr. Vu gives the opinion that employers can require vaccinations.
September 9: VicPD discussed vaccine passports. They said bylaw work and special events, e.g. protests, were outside and wouldn’t be affected. While that’s true, it suggests vulnerable folks and individuals targeted at protests did not need to be kept safe from unvaccinated officers.
On September 9, union head Hollingsworth shared Vancouver’s policy and said he would be happy with a similar policy. Deputy Chief Laidman said he would edit Vancouver’s policy, and he prepared a draft that he sent back to the union two days later.
September 14: Nelson PD emailed about mandatory vaccinations. Watson: “We are not adopting a mandatory vaccine policy. Members make their own vaccine choices, but we believe we have a very high vaccination rate here.” VicPD talks about ‘high rates,’ but the figure isn’t disclosed.
October 12: Dr. Vu emails Deputy Chief Watson about preventable deaths in hospitals. Watson says he has “some thoughts on a path forward that I hope won't make our staffing situation worse.” This is the first time VicPD acknowledged staffing, not health, was driving its policy.
October 29: Watson tells Manak union has no concerns with proposed policy. Nov. 2: Victoria releases its policy requiring vaccination for city staff. Also on Nov 2: Watson emails Dr. Vu “so you can see where we are going with this,” implying he hadn’t been part of recent discussions.
November 3: VicPD’s final policy allows unvaccinated officers to submit to regular tests to keep working. It takes a shot at mandatory vaccines that “could descend the organization into … staffing challenges and … adversely affect the safety of employees and community members.”
Rejecting mandatory vaccinations because of staffing issues isn’t the same as a policy to keep people safe from transmission, Manak’s original stated goal. Other public bodies, including police, have reckoned with mandatory vaccinations.
I would also dispute VicPD’s assessment that officers keep people safe. To that point, VicPD likes to talk about itself as providing medical care, e.g. for overdoses. Unlike VicPD, paramedics — responders who provide medical care — are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
VicPD did not release any records on testing costs; however, its policy says tests were meant to be free for officers who chose not to be vaccinated, unless costs went up at a later date. The policy also notes that unvaccinated officers might not be able to use VicPD’s gym.
VicPD’s emails and policy suggest, despite the assertion that most officers are vaccinated, that its culture is such that mandatory vaccines would affect more of its staff than other public bodies. Which certainly fits with VicPD's thumbs up to the anti-vaxers.
As a bookend, not content with a single display of support, the officer in the original video drove back the other direction to give the crowd another thumbs up. Indeed, VicPD. Indeed.
Update: This was VicPD's response to the video, which is rubbish.
This photo was shared with me yesterday, from a public Facebook page, taken at last week's event. I know there's a small child, but VicPD not posing with someone in a "Defund the Media" hat is always an option." And they weren't the only yellow vests that were in the crowd that day.
Here's another video of the VicPD officer giving the thumbs up at last week's event in Victoria. It looks like they started with a 'hang loose' sometime before the 'F*ck Trudeau' sign, later switching to a thumbs up.
If it's not obvious from the clips, the people at the event definitely understood that VicPD was onside. That video was posted with the caption: "Just another peaceful protest even the police."
As an addendum, I’m linking this post regarding VicPD upholding systemic racism. There are lots of stories and examples apart from those numbers of course.