As the COVID-19 pandemic takes its toll on law enforcement officers across the country, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is rolling out a policyto encourage its deputiesto get vaccinated, Sheriff Mike Chitwood said late last week.
The policy, which could go into effect as early as Wednesday, would give deputies who are vaccinated or getting vaccinatedan additional three days off.
And after being vaccinated, if deputies should experience a breakthrough case, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office will pay them while they are athome for the lengthof their illnessor quarantine, Chitwood said.
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“The incentive will allow deputies to get paid while they are out sick without them having to use sickdaysor vacation time,” Chitwood said.
Chitwood is one of several Florida sheriffs, including Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly, whoarenow publicly asking their deputies to consider getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
“We see all these people that we know dying,and the hurtful part is that we know the deaths could have been prevented,” Chitwood said. “Forget the noise, the BS and the politics. I just don’t understandwhy the vaccinehas becomesucha political issue.”
The Officer Down Memorial Page, a non-profit that keeps a record of law enforcement officers dying in the line of duty, updated itswebpage Monday to show 229law enforcementofficers nationwide have diedin 2021. Of that number, 120were COVID-19 victims, according to the non-profit.
Chitwood said the high number of deaths is alarming, and locally COVID-19 deathshavealso taken the livesof a Port Orange police officer, a Flagler County deputy, a judge, and othercommunity leaders, includingMarc Bernier, a local radio personality who died of coronavirus Saturday evening.
Among the multiple cases at his agency, only one person became seriously ill withdouble pneumonia and spent 18 days in the hospital, Chitwood said.
“That person is in rehab and stillon oxygen,” Chitwood said.
Chitwood himself contracted COVID-19 in August 2020, and said that although he wasn't hospitalized, he was verysick.
“Idon’t want to experience that again,” said Chitwood, who has since been vaccinated.
A review of the Officer Down Memorial Page shows 14 law enforcement officers in Florida have died of COVID-19. The updated list does not include the recent deaths of Port Orange Police DepartmentK-9 officer, Justin White, 39, or Flagler Deputy Paul Luciano, 60, whose deaths were attributed to COVID-19.
Staly said he was informed on Sunday thatanother Florida law enforcement officer, aClay County Sheriff's Office deputy, also died of COVID.
"Every time we have a fellow law enforcement officer fall to COVID, I send a note to our employees encouraging them to take the vaccine," Staly said. "I think it's the right thing to do but it's a personal decision they have to make."
Staly sends emails to his staff to remindthem that law enforcement officers are dying of COVID-19 across the state and that the Flagler County Sheriff's Office hashad a fairly large number of employees who got COVID-19, a few with serious complications, including hospitalizations and Luciano's death.
"You are important to us and to your family. If you have not had a vaccination, I strongly encourage you to get one," Staly stated in an email. "I don't like shots but I got one last January. I strongly encourage you to get vaccinated. We don't want to attend your funeral when it could have been prevented."
Mark Strobridge, spokesman for the Flagler County Sheriff's Office, said several options are being discussed to encourage vaccinations but the agency presently does not have an incentive program.
"We do not have a mandate for a vaccine. We are encouraging our personnel to get the vaccine," Strobridge said.
Chitwood said that in his opinion law enforcement officers refuse the vaccination because of their political views, a lack of proper judgement,or they fall for social media conspiracy theories.
Chitwood said he's personally had to battle vaccine misinformation.
“I can’t believe that someoneI respect was telling my deputies that the vaccine and the cell phone are the government’s way to track or monitor them,”he said.
In a message he tweeted on Thursday, Chitwoodnoted: “COVID is hitting us hard again. We can end it. Just get the vaccine if you can.”
In his message, Chitwood said first responders, medical personnel andfront-lineworkersare getting pushed to the limit.
“Give them a break, get your shot and let’s get back on ourfeet,” Chitwood tweeted.
After Officer White lost his battle with COVID-19 earlier this month, Port Orange Police Departmentinterim police Chief William Proctor is also encouraging his officers to getvaccinated, although no incentive program is currently being offered, said police spokesman Officer Andre Bernard Fleming.
"Chief Proctor has been vocal about his desire for officers to get vaccinated," Fleming said. "Additionally, Chief Proctor has sent out numerous proactive emails about how and where to get vaccinated."
Chitwood and Staly both say that while they are not going to mandate vaccinations, they hopethe loss of law enforcement lives to the virus would encourage their deputies to do so.
“I am not going to mandate it but I am going to incentivize it as much as I can,” Chitwood said. “The fact that we lost 120law enforcement officers to COVID is very serious and there is no reason for this to be happening.”
Staly said he is encouraginghis deputies to get the vaccine, because like paramedics and firefighters, deputiesdo not have the choice to social distance because their jobs requirethem to interact with the public.
"While a vaccination may not prevent you from getting COVID, it is my understanding being vaccinated is likely to make your symptoms less-severe," Staly stated in an email to his staff. "As one COVID-illemployee told me when I called to check on him 'I didn't believe in the vaccine but I'm getting one now.' He also said this is the worst he has ever been sick. Please don't wait until it's too late."
