In Chicago, a clash between the mayor and police over vaccinations

Clash between mayor and Chicago police: Half of city police officers could be placed on unpaid leave if they refuse to disclose whether they were vaccinated against Govt-19 while cracking down on city crime. Posts.

The fight between the mayor, Lori Lightfoot and police union leader John Cuttonsara has come to the forefront of the debate over the right of officers to vaccinate Chicago.

Lori Lightfood Tell workers working in the third largest city in the United States to get vaccinated by midnight on Friday – if they are not vaccinated, they should be tested every week.

Those who refuse to release this information have a few days to explain themselves, but are at risk of being placed on unpaid leave before being fired.

Police and rescue workers, Ms. Lightfoot said in a statement late Thursday, “I can not be idle with words of conspiracy threatening the health and safety of Chicago residents.”

But the head of the “Brotherhood Guard” in Chicago, Mr. Kadansara called on its 13,000 members not to leave and to keep the vaccine status for themselves.

With more killings and shootings on the rise, he thinks he has a priority.

“I can assure you that the unpaid condition will not last more than 30 days,” he told union members in a video released Tuesday, adding that it could affect half or more agents.

“They cannot maintain a police service at 50% or less of its capacity for more than seven days.”

– “Fight” –

According to Chicago officials, who did not hide their concern, Mr. Kadansara may be right.

As the city again leads in the United States in the number of homicides, 639 homicides as of Oct. 13 this year are 55% higher than they were two years ago.

According to the Chicago Police, shooting is 68% higher than it was two years ago: 2,866 were recorded as of Oct. 13.

Add up to 1,295 car thefts until October 7th. What causes many people to feel uncomfortable.

The city official of Anthony Napolitano, a former police officer who supports the union’s position, says the police force has already been reduced by about a thousand officers due to the lack of a registered number of pensions and new hires.

“The perpetrators (…) know what’s going on,” he told the Chicago Sun-Times on Wednesday. “It’s going to be a fight.”

– “Lead to error” –

Mr. Kadansara threatened to take legal action, saying his union would seek to temporarily block the use of the measure.

But on Thursday night, the City of Chicago filed an injunction against him.

In a statement, Ms Lightfoot lied, “Deliberately misled our police officers again and again by lying about the terms of these rules, and the agents did not comply and refused to follow any orders or there would be no repercussions.” Orders of the city. “

The mayor also recalled state law, a trade union agreement, and a ban on police engaging in strikes.

Mr Kadansara accused the government of promoting illegal strikes and strikes, endangering public safety and causing irreparable damage to our residents, especially during an epidemic.

Mr Catanzara did not respond to AFP’s requests.

Covit-19 was the leading cause of death for police officers in the United States in 2020, and this is still the case in 2021, according to the Officer Town Memorial page listing police deaths.

This is despite the fact that the police were among the first groups to access the vaccines.

One of Mr. Kadansara’s pioneers, Dean Angelo, the union leader from 2014 to 2017, died Tuesday due to covit.