Police union bosses say Government failure to prioritise frontline officers for Covid jabs is ‘a deep betrayal’ that ‘will not be forgiven or forgotten’
- Police Federation of England and Wales has written open letter to Government
- It describes the failure to prioritise front line police officers as a ‘deep betrayal’
- The letter warned that the failure would ‘not be forgiven or forgotten’ in future
- It comes as at least eight Met police officers have died from Covid since it began
Failure to prioritise the vaccination of frontline police officers against Covid-19 would be ‘a deep betrayal and will not be forgiven or forgotten’, federation leaders have warned.
An open letter has been sent from all 43 branches of the Police Federation of England and Wales to officials in Westminster and the Welsh Assembly.
The groups reacted angrily after Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Monday that police officers would not be prioritised over the groups already identified for getting vaccines first.
The Police Federations of England and Wales have described the failure to prioritise frontline officers for vaccines as a deep betrayal. Pictured: Camden PC John Fabrizi (left) and colleague PC Michael Warren (right) from the territorial support group who both died last month
The letter said: ‘It shows that warm words and platitudes mean very little from the Government.’
Police leaders are arguing that the need for frontline officers to be in close contact with the public puts them at high risk of infection and spreading the virus.
A recent survey by the Police Federation of England and Wales suggested that one in three officers had been threatened with deliberate Covid-19 infection by members of the public in the last six months.
The letter reads: ‘The level of incidents of people weaponising the virus – by coughing or spitting at them – has increased considerably during the pandemic.
‘On behalf of the Government, police officers are putting their lives on the line every day and run a very real risk of becoming infected and exposing colleagues, family members as well as the public.
‘This seriously threatens the resilience of the police service if officers are off sick or required to isolate, taking them away from their duties.’
How at least eight Met Police officers have died from coronavirus
- Sukh Singh, forensic command police constable (January 25, 2021)
- Met Detention custody sergeant, unnamed (January 25, 2021)
- John Fabrizi, Camden police constable (January 24, 2021)
- Michael Warren, Territorial Support Group police constable (January 19, 2021)
- Chris Barkshire, traffic police community support officer (January 11, 2021)
- Ramesh Gunamal, Forest Gate public access officer (May 9, 2020)
- Charles Harding, police community support officer (2020)
- Sophie O’Neill, call operator (2020)
It claims that it would take ‘less than a day’ to vaccinate the entire police service and that it is not about officers ‘jumping the queue’.
The letter ends: ‘Police officers have done everything asked of them, now it is time for the Government to step up and protect those who have been on the frontline throughout this pandemic.
‘Anything less would be a deep betrayal and will not be forgiven or forgotten.’
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: ‘We are grateful for the tireless efforts of all our key workers, including police officers, at this difficult time. They are keeping us safe and ensuring that vital services carry on.
‘We are following advice from the independent JCVI to vaccinate the most vulnerable people in cohorts 1-4 first.
‘They advised the immediate priority should be to prevent deaths and protect health and care staff, with old age deemed the single biggest factor determining mortality.’
At least eight Met police officers have died from coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.
The most recent death last month was of an unnamed custody sergeant, while another four included three police constables and a traffic police community officer.
Meanwhile at least three Met workers died during the pandemic last year, led to increased calls to prioritise frontline police officers for Covid vaccines.
Ramesh Gunamal, a public access officer for the Met in Forest Gate, died in May last year
Tributes were paid to PC Fabrizi who was ‘much loved’ and did ‘so much good in one lifetime’
Camden PC John Fabrizi died on January 24, just under a week after the death of his colleague PC Michael Warren from the territorial support group on January 19.
Camden Police said PC Fabrizi was ‘much loved’ and did ‘so much good in one lifetime’.
Pc Michael Warren, 37, joined the Met in 2005 and had served as a TSG officer for the last four years.
He was classed as ‘vulnerable’ and had been shielding at home, working remotely to help his team and died on January 19, the Met said.
Traffic police community support officer Chris Barkshire died on January 11 while PC Sukh Singh from the Met’s forensic command died on January 25.
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