Unvaccinated NYPD cops must get jab to get paid, judge rules
A Staten Island judge on Wednesday shot down a last-minute attempt by the NYPD’s largest police union to fight the city’s mandate ordering cops to get jabbed this week.
Richmond County Supreme Court Judge Lizette Colon ruled that Mayor Bill de Blasio can enforce his COVID-19 vaccine mandate that requires all city workers, including members of the NYPD, to get their first dose by Friday 5 p.m. — or else be placed on unpaid leave.
The head of the Police Benevolent Association said though union lawyers will be in court on Thursday to appeal the ruling to New York’s Appellate Division as the hours tick down to the deadline.
Police Commissioner Dermot Shea pleaded — again — with cops in a new video to the police force to get the jab by Friday but said Monday is when the mandate will officially go into effect.
“On Monday, when this thing starts being enforced, and if you’re not vaccinated, no pay and you won’t be able to work,” Shea said in the video obtained by The Post. “I don’t think anyone wants that to happen … We need you out there. Please take advantage of the next few days and get vaccinated.”
Shea added if unvaccinated cops are scheduled to work over the weekend, they should still show up for their shifts.
Just over 73 percent of the department’s workforce, which includes nearly 35,000 uniformed officers and just under 18,000 civilian employees, have been vaccinated as of Tuesday, with hundreds more having lined up to get the jab since.
The PBA filed its lawsuit in Richmond County Supreme Court Monday, seeking a temporary restraining order in the enforcement of the mayor’s executive order on vaccines, which is in line with city school staffers.
The union argued the vaccine-or-test policy was working just fine, but Colon ruled after a hearing Wednesday the mayor had the power to roll out stricter vaccine policies.
The union’s president said in a statement, “The PBA will continue to fight the fight and will immediately appeal this ruling, but New Yorkers should know who to blame for any shortfall in city services: Mayor Bill de Blasio, Police Commissioner Shea and the other bureaucrats who are putting politics before public health and public safety.”
“Today’s ruling sets the city up for a real crisis. The haphazard rollout of this mandate has created chaos in the NYPD.”
The NYPD has struggled to get its vaccination rate up over the last 10 months despite being allowed to jump the line early to get inoculated against the deadly virus.
One of the biggest upticks in the department’s vaccination rate came late in the summer as the department enacted stricter masking policies for unvaxxed cops and when nearly 5,000 school safety police officers were mandated to get the jab.
COVID-19 has led to the deaths of 63 members of service.
The virus has been the leading cause of death for law enforcement nationwide since its onset last year.
