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Marking a win for Chicago police in one of the country’s most powerful police unions, a judge blocked the vaccine mandate for Chicago Police officers. The fraternal order has repeatedly encouraged officers to defy the directive. President John Catanzara of FOP Lodge 7 addressed concerns that the police force numbers would be depleted due to mass noncompliance.
This same Chicago Police FOP Lodge offers vaccination exemption forms on its website. Unfortunately, police departments across the United States have experienced some of the worse COVID-19 death tolls. Nationally, the death toll reported by police departments is 772 deaths as of Nov. 1, 2021.
The written decision was issued by Judge Raymond Mitchell, the vaccination mandate would still be stalled for the city, but police unions will face special exceptions for officers before December 31 deadline without arbitrating with police unions first.
However, the ruling states police officers who have not reported their vaccination status still need to report their status by October 15 and be placed in a no-pay status for disobeying the order. Reporting vaccination status remains low compared to the Chicago Fire Department’s statistics 86%, whereas the Chicago Police report a 65% to 71% compliance with the order.
Catanzara speaking of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on “Fox & Friends” “Everything from this mayor is a dictatorship.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has killed more people than the Spanish flu in 1918. As of late October 2021, the death toll for the coronavirus was 736,875, whereas the Spadish Flu took 675,000 live, according to the Centers for Prevention and Disease Control (CDC).
Written by Skye Leon
Sources:
Fox News: Judge halts Chicago’s vaccine mandate deadline, sides with police union; by Emma Colton
Chicago Tribune: Vaccine mandate refusal sidelines 2 dozen Chicago Fire Department personnel; judge hears police union bid to pause shot reporting rule; by Alice Yin and John Byrne
Injustice Watch: Analysis: Here’s how Chicago’s most powerful police union preserves tradition of problematic leadership; by Emanuella Evans and Adeshina Emmanuel
CBS News: COVID is leading cause of death among police officers; by Jeff Pegues
Chicago Tribune: Judge rules city vaccine mandate must be arbitrated with police unions, pauses Dec. 31 deadline to receive shots; by Alice Yin and Gregory Pratt
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Jason Lawrence Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of Eric Gravengaard Flickr Page – Creative Commons License