Victoria Police officers set to fight upcoming vaccine mandate

Victorian police officers combating the vaccine mandate have enlisted help from a contentious Queensland-based group.

Police opposed to forced vaccination have engaged contentious Queensland-based Red Union for their campaign.

The Herald Sun has been told 210 officers and other Victoria Police personnel are part of the push to fight moves to make them get the jab or get out of the job.

The rumblings come at a bad time as hundreds of police personnel are off work each day and in COVID isolation because of close contact with the infected.

Vaccines and shorter isolation periods are viewed as a key way to ease that burden.

Police facing off with anti-vaccine protesters in Melbourne last month. Picture: Darrian Traynor

Some senior officers and detectives from crime command are among those who are part of the anti-mandatory jab push.

The group, which used the encrypted Telegram app to communicate, is believed to harbour some hope that special arrangements can be made so those who do not want to be vaccinated can keep their positions.

Among those involved are members who have policed major protests in recent months.

Premier Daniel Andrews announced last week that vaccination would be mandated and Victoria Police Chief Commissioner is expected to echo that in coming days when reveals the full policy to members.

The Police Association backs mandatory vaccinations, leading those in opposition to seek Red Union’s support.

It describes itself as a body which fights to protect members rather than any political party.

But the ACTU has previously branded Red Union a “fake union” which is part of a Coalition-sponsored anti-vaccination movement.

It is believed some prison officers are also moving to fight the vaccination regime.

The Herald Sun can reveal that, on some days, more than 500 police employees have been forced off the job to self-isolate.

Some quieter stations have had to close or reduce public access.

The problem has been exacerbated by ongoing requirements of more than 1000 police manning the state’s borders and hotel quarantine program.

The numbers not at work include protective services officers, police custody officers and unsworn employees.

Victoria Police sources say the force has so far been able to cope, shuffling personnel to fill gaps where needed.

But the high demand for COVID-related work and the huge numbers committed to various protests is creating real strain which would only be intensified if some members were unavailable because they were unvaccinated.

Force command believes the broader public would expect police officers they came into contact with to be vaccinated.

“You don’t know who is vulnerable, a source said.

“We can’t have a whole bunch of people we can’t call on. Even the ones in corporate roles are being deployed to protests and other things.

“We don’t want the ones who are front-and-centre to burn out.”

The force is this week expected to announce its policy on what rules will apply for its 16,000 sworn members, with a strong likelihood it will be a requirement of employment.

The Herald Sun has been told some of those opposed to such a ruling have been exploring legal avenues to fight any order that they take the jab or find another job.

Many are understood to have been meeting secretly via online forums to discuss how they can fight any future directives on vaccination.

Thousands of police shifts have been required in recent months to cover demonstrations where people opposed to anti-mandatory vaccination have been among those rallying.

Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said recently he was “seriously considering” mandatory vaccination for all police members.

He said their role in policing public demonstrations, hotel quarantine, border patrols and other lines of work meant “that’s where I’m heading towards.”

Estimates of those who would be opposed range between 150 and 200.

Any challenge would be unlikely to have the backing of the Police Association, whose secretary Wayne Gatt recently said the union supported a vaccine mandate.

The force would have been watching a recent court challenge in New South Wales, where mounted squad officer Belinda Hocroft took on Health Minister Brad Hazzard over restrictions placed on her work until she had a Covid vaccine.

She has since withdrawn the action.

Originally published as Victoria Police officers set to fight upcoming vaccine mandate