Vaccine mandate for Windsor, Ont., police 'may never be rescinded,' says mayor

As COVID-19 restrictions continue to vanish across Canada, the Windsor Police Service (WPS) is maintaining its vaccine mandate for employees with no end in sight for the policy.

Under two per cent of the workforce — or between 10 and 12 employees of the 676 — continue to be on unpaid leave because they're either unvaccinated or did not disclose their vaccination status.

Some of those employees were not actively working prior to the policy taking effect.

The Police Association of Ontario told CBC News that Windsor and Stratford Police Services are the only two in the province with a vaccine mandate still in effect.

Mayor Drew Dilkens, also Windsor's police board chair, said the WPS policy "may never be rescinded."

"I think it's fair to say that we're still in the pandemic. We're not out of it yet and I know that there are employees [who] are comforted by the fact that their colleagues that they are working with are fully vaccinated," said Dilkens. "It's not a linear issue just to remove it to get 10 or 12 people back to work. You have to think of the employees who did get vaccinated, who are working, who have a level of comfort working next to people who are vaccinated in the workplace."

The Windsor Police Association (WPA) said it's "discouraged" by the mayor's comments.

President Shawn McCurdy dismisses the notion this isn't a big issue because it involves a small number of employees.

"As you look at the policing world, any member that we can have that would be at work would assist us providing service. If we average 12 individuals, that's a number of people we could have working," said McCurdy.

But Dilkens said operations aren't being affected due to the people who are off.

The WPS said in an email the four unvaccinated staff members off on unpaid leave "has not largely impacted the level of service to the community."

"We are observing the guidance provided by the [Windsor-Essex County Health Unit] and looking continuously at how that guidance will impact our operations, most importantly the delivery of service to our community," according to a statement from the police service.

The WECHU told CBC News in an email that it "continues to recommend that all organizations implement vaccination policies to prevent the further spread of COVID-19."

But it wouldn't say why a mandate is still recommended as different levels of government have removed nearly all COVID-19 restrictions.