Fears up to 100 cops could leave force over vaccine mandate

There are concerns the ranks of the police force could be depleted even further amid troubling statistics about how many cops were yet to submit their vaccination status.

THE Opposition and NT Police Association (NTPA) have expressed concerns about a potential exodus of police officers from the Northern Territory due to the government’s vaccination mandate.

But Police assistant commissioner Bruce Porter has vowed the community will still be protected once the Territory’s mandate comes into force on Saturday.

Multiple sources told the NT News that roughly 100 officers were yet to submit their vaccination status earlier this week, out of a workforce of about 1600.

That comes only weeks after it was revealed police attrition had spiked in the 2020-21 financial year.

NTPA president Paul McCue said the departure of any officers from the mandate would have an impact on the operations of the force.

Northern Territory Police Association (NTPA) President Paul McCue. Picture: Che Chorley

“Any loss of police will be felt on the frontline, and in other sections of the police force, but until the deadline arrives how big an impact it will have is unknown,” Mr McCue said.

“The NTPA understands there will be some members who may not meet the deadline to lodge their vaccination status prior to Friday’s deadline.”

Ms Finocchiaro said the government needed to outline its plan for how it would make up for any departures.

“There will be police who choose not to get the jab,” she said.

“The real question is what is the Gunner government’s plan to address that shortage.

“We can’t have police leaving the force and not filling that void that we so desperately need.”

CLP Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro speaks to the Media at NT Parliament House. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Ms Finocchiaro also expressed concern after a government briefing in which the Commissioner for Public Employment could not provide data on how many public servants were refusing to get the vaccine. “There is very little data on those numbers of police, nurses and teachers and what impact this is going to have.”

Assistant commissioner Porter said the majority of officers had received at least their first dose, and the NT Police Service was “confident of being able to continue to serve and protect the community”.

“Officers must not attend the workplace unless they have received the first dose of an approved Covid-19 vaccine, or provided evidence in the form of a medical certificate certifying a contraindication to all approved Covid-19 vaccines,” he said.