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Woeful Vaccine Prioritisation A Slap In The Face For Frontline Police

Frontline police should have been in the top priority vaccination group but instead were left behind and now being put at risk as part of their duties, says Darroch Ball co-leader of Sensible Sentencing Trust.

“Police officers are often the first ones we rely on when in a national crisis, it would beneft the government start acting like they realise that.”

“The fact is Police Minister Poto Williams should have been fighting for their prioritisation a long time ago.”

“How on earth the government could even comprehend not fully vaccinating all frontline emergency personnel is astounding.”

“The rest of us can be isolating through a lock-down, our front-line police must still be active and remain working within the community. Their vital job’s dictate that often they are put into situations where there is much higher risks of exposure – and not just as part of MIQ.”

“We have seen anti-lockdown protests where police had to physically remove individuals who weren’t wearing masks, didn’t believe in the COVID pandemic, and likely hadn’t been vaccinated.”

“It is baffling that the government has acted so late in the game to move police up the priority list – specifically when the Police Association President Chris Cahill highlighted this issue back in May.”

“This is just another in a long list of examples where our police officers are being treated as secondary after-thoughts."

“It has been a long time since the Police Association has been so vocal against the government on so many different issues,” says Mr Ball.

“The Minster might want to start listening.”

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