Niagara Regional Police Service implements COVID-19 vaccination policy

The Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) is implementing a new vaccination policy in the wake of a recent rise in COVID-19 cases in the region.

The police service says all members will be required to provide proof of vaccination by Dec. 17.

“Throughout the pandemic, the Niagara Regional Police Service has been committed to ensuring the safety of our community,” says Acting Chief of Police Brett Flynn in a news release. “A vaccination policy will ensure the on-going health and safety of our members, along with the community that we serve. This policy is one piece of the puzzle to reassure our members as well as members of the public.”

Anyone who refuses to disclose their vaccination status or who has chosen not to get vaccinated will have to regularly provide negative results from rapid antigen tests.

Members who are not vaccinated and decline to be tested will be placed on non-disciplinary unpaid leave as of Jan. 4, 2022.

NRPS says if a member is unable to be vaccinated due to a protected ground under the Ontario Human Rights Code, they will be accommodated.