Another Ontario police service is mandating COVID-19 vaccines for its members.
The Hamilton Police Service announced Wednesday afternoon that its members will be asked for proof of vaccination status by Oct. 4.
“As a Service, we believe mandatory vaccinations are just one of the ways we can reassure our members and the public that we have taken the necessary steps to protect ourselves and the community we serve,” Hamilton police Chief Frank Bergen said in a statement.
“We took a robust approach in advocating to get our members vaccinated as soon as possible, now we need to be leaders in making those vaccines mandatory.”
Hamilton police said they will “accommodate” members who will not get vaccinated due to a protected ground. However, they did not provide further details on the policy for unvaccinated members.
The move comes a day after Toronto police announced that uniformed and civilian members are required to get vaccinated against COVID-19 by Sept. 13.
Meanwhile, Peel Regional Police told CP24 that they are either reviewing their vaccination policies.
“This is a complicated process that includes consultations and discussions on best practices from various sources and includes other services and sectors. Our priority is to ensure the health and safety of our members, their families and the communities we serve,” Peel police said in a statement.
York Regional Police told CP24 that they do not require its members to get a COVID-19 vaccine at this time, but “it continues to be strongly encouraged.”
Meanwhile, the Ontario Provincial Police said the Ontario Public Service (OPS) is developing a vaccination policy for all members, which includes OPP employees.
Last week, the OPS sent out a memo to its employees that they will be required to get vaccinated. Those who are unvaccinated will have to attend an educational session and undertake regular COVID-19 testing.
The province did not announce a timeline for the policy but said that more details will be coming soon.
- with files from Joshua Freeman
