A New York judge on Wednesday denied a last-minute effort by New York City’s largest police union to halt the city government’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate that goes into effect starting next week, a decision that may send about a quarter of the force home without leave.
Lawyers for the PBA said in court papers after Wednesday’s hearing that the vaccine mandate forces officers to choose between their careers and their personal beliefs, infringing on officers’ “right to bodily integrity.”
“The haphazard rollout of this mandate has created chaos in the NYPD. City Hall has given no reason that a vaccine mandate with a weekly testing option is no longer enough to protect police officers and he public, especially while the number of COVID-19 cases continues to fall,” Lynch said.
“Instead, police officers are being told to make a possibly life-changing decision in a matter of days to meet a completely arbitrary deadline, while the NYPD’s leadership spins its wheels and offers no guidance,” he added. “This not only violates police officers’ rights—it will inevitably result in fewer cops available to protect our city.”
Police Commissioner Dermot Shea on Tuesday urged all officers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and said that if unvaccinated cops are scheduled to work over the weekend, they should still show up for their shifts, the outlet reported.
“Anyone at this point in time, unless something changes, will be put into a leave-without-pay status,” he noted. “What I would urge is for people not to wait to the last moment to see what happens with the lawsuit or anything else. Get the vaccine.”
Lynch said the PBA will immediately appeal the state Supreme Court judge’s ruling and vowed to “continue the fight.”
“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,” he said.
The NYPD did not provide specific answers when asked how it will manage personnel levels and public safety if one-quarter of its workforce—including thousands of officers—is put on unpaid leave for noncompliance. “We will be prepared for any changes in personnel due to the mandate," NYPD spokesperson Al Baker said in a written statement.
The New York City government did not immediately respond to The Epoch Times’s request for comment.
Paul, a 24-year-old NYPD officer, has been with the police for 3 years. He told The Epoch Times that he joined the march because he’s being denied freedom of choice.
“It should be our choice,” Paul said. “I personally don’t want [the vaccine] and if it’s that effective for everyone else, then they shouldn’t care if we get it.”
