Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said today 1,357 department employees had not submitted their vaccination status as of Friday, and each commander has received a list of their names to begin enforcement of the city’s vaccination and testing mandate.
Moore also told the Police Commission the department currently has a total of 9,473 sworn personnel and 2,670 civilian personnel. A “majority” of those who haven’t reported their status were sworn employees, but Moore said he did not have the exact number.
Each officer who has not yet reported their vaccination status will receive a notice telling them to report their status within 48 hours and to enter into an agreement to receive two tests per week, paid for by the individual employee.
If an employee does not submit information on their vaccination status, “the department, myself, will initiate disciplinary proceedings against the employees, civilian or sworn,” Moore said. “Ultimately, our goal is to have to a 100% fully vaccinated workforce.”
The commanders also received lists of the officers who are seeking medical or religious exemptions. Those requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, according to the city, and if an exemption is approved, the employee will be required to test for COVID-19 once per week, but the tests will be paid for by the city.
The union representing Los Angeles police officers sued the city on Friday, alleging unfair labor negotiations related to the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for municipal employees.
The union’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit also seeks to stop the city from requiring unvaccinated employees who don’t have exemptions to pay for their COVID tests, at $65 per test, twice a week. Los Angeles’ vaccination mandate was updated on Oct. 26, pushing back the deadline for employees to get vaccinated from Oct. 20 to Dec. 18.
Mayor Eric Garcetti called the mandate “critical to protecting the health and safety of our workforce and the Angelenos we serve.” Through Dec. 18, unvaccinated employees have to submit to two COVID-19 tests per week, and $65 per test will be deducted from their paychecks.
Employees have to get tested during their free time, and testing has to be conducted “by the city or a vendor … of the city’s choosing,” according to the CAO’s report approved by the City Council on Tuesday.
