[ad_1]
Almost 30 years police veteran in California resigned over San Jose vaccine mandate as police forces continue to grapple with chronic understaffing.
“First and foremost, it’s my religious belief. I also believe I was given the choice of what to do with my body,” said Sgt. David Gutierrez said after resigning from the San Jose Police Department over the weekend, KPIX reported.
Gutierrez spent 23 years with the San Jose Police Department as a homicide detective, internal affairs investigator and patrol supervisor, before retiring in 2019. He then returned to the force as a reserve officer .
TUCKER CARLSON: MILITARY COVID VACCINE MANDATE IS A TAKING OF POWER
Gutierrez completed his last shift at the department on Saturday and said he sent a letter to the city manager on Monday denouncing the city’s vaccination mandate, which requires city employees to present proof of vaccination or obtain a medical exemption. . Those who do not comply face disciplinary action, such as dismissal.
“Disciplinary action is when you’ve done something wrong,” Gutierrez said, according to NBC Bay Area. “I didn’t do anything wrong – by choosing not to be vaccinated, why would you be disciplined? “
Gutierrez added that he was not anti-vaccine and would be open to the city testing him weekly instead of applying the vaccine or getting a medical exemption.
“I’m not anti-vaccine. I don’t tell people, ‘You shouldn’t have it.’ But when it comes to my body, it’s my choice on what I want to put in my body, ”said Gutierrez.
NY HOSPITAL SUSPENSIONS BABY DELIVERIES AS MATERNITY WORKERS SHUT DOWN ON COVID-19 VACCINE MANDATE
He sent his resignation letter ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline for city employees to be vaccinated, and said more officers could also leave their posts as the department already faced problems with under -effective.
“We are already understaffed and cannot afford to lose any more,” said Gutierrez.
“If they let go of the police who have been here for five years, 10 years, 15 years, you can hire someone else, but you are not going to hire that experience,” he added. .
A recent audit examining the latest 10 years of the police found that the force relied heavily on overtime as it struggled with understaffing.
NEW YORKERS RESPOND TO BIDEN’S VACCINE MANDATE: “IT IS AGAINST EVERYBODY’S WILL”
About 200 officers from the department have so far requested exemptions, many for religious purposes. But Democratic mayor Sam Liccardo said the vaccine’s mandate works broadly and does not anticipate a flight of force.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
“This is certainly for the protection of individual members of our municipal team. But it is also, critically, for the safety of our entire community because we know, of course, that first responders interact. [with the public] every day, ”Liccardo said, according to KPIX.
[ad_2]
Source link