Members of Waterloo regional police must be vaccinated or undergo regular testing: Chief

All Waterloo Region Police Service members must provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination, and unvaccinated members must undergo regular COVID-19 rapid antigen testing, the chief of police announced Thursday. 

New members must provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination before they start work, Chief Bryan Larkin said during a media briefing. 

Those who want an exemption to vaccination under the Ontario Human Rights Code must do so in writing, while those who are unvaccinated for reasons other than a protected ground under the code must undergo education about the benefits of vaccination. 

Double-vaccination will be a requirement for uniformed officers requesting to work special paid duties or overtime assignments. 

So far, 88.5 per cent of police service members are fully vaccinated, Larkin said.

The policy for employees aligns with that of the Region of Waterloo, which announced in September all employees, volunteers and students would need to be vaccinated or undergo testing and education. While their budget comes from the region, members of the police service are not considered to be regional employees.

Members who don't comply with the service's policy will be placed on unpaid leave, Larkin said. 

The service is currently "tracking" 167 members who either haven't disclosed their vaccination status or who are unvaccinated, who are all now being treated as unvaccinated.

Asked about a deadline for members to comply, Larkin said the service expects to "make contact" with all staff by November 1. 

"November 1 will be a turning point for us, that those that are not in compliance with the directives will be actually facing consequences, which will be unpaid administrative leave," he said.  

The service will provide rapid antigen testing kits for members, though they can also choose to purchase their own, he said. 

Officer's comments at event

Larkin was asked Thursday if he'd been pressured to provide a vaccination policy to media following comments made by a Waterloo regional police officer during a media briefing with Cambridge MPP Belinda Karahalios last weekend. Karahalios was speaking out against rules that parents must be vaccinated in order to enter sporting facilities to watch their children play.

Steve McKenna, a former NHL player and now a member of the police service, said it wasn't fair professional athletes could cross the border to play their sports, but parents were not able to watch, and in turn young children who need supervision were unable to play sports if the parents were not vaccinated.

"This alienates our community into two classes and punishes thousands of children," McKenna and his partner Angela McKenna are quoted as saying in a press release from Karahalios' office after the event last Saturday. "Let's get back to being Canadian and make recreational activity accessible for everyone."  

Larkin said the comments were "distressing."

"It does not represent the values of our organization, and that is concerning," said Larkin. "We are taking appropriate action, subsequent to the Police Services Act, round those processes."