Officers in the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) must be vaccinated or provide a negative COVID-19 test to work overtime or off-duty security at major sports and entertainment events, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Department officials announced the new requirements Friday, partly in response to concerns about lagging vaccination rates in the LAPD and as county rules requiring proof of vaccination at events with more than 10,000 people are set to take effect in early October.
Only 54 percent of the department’s 13,000 employees have been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the newspaper.
Commander T. Scott Harrelson reportedly wrote in a department memo the LAPD will not offer coronavirus testing “for the sole purpose of working overtime shifts,” noting that it will be the responsibility of the employee.
Los Angeles is mandating that city employees receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by early October. However, nearly 3,000 LAPD employees have said they will seek medical or religious exemptions.
The LAPD has lost 10 employees due to COVID-19 while thousands have been infected — with 66 new infections in the past two weeks, according to the outlet.
An unnamed supervisor told the Times they are confident the new requirements will incentivize department employees to get vaccinated.
“You are going to see an increase in vaccinations starting now. It is all about overtime money for many of the officers,” the supervisor said.