1,357 LAPD Employees Face Discipline Over COVID Vaccine Mandate

LOS ANGELES, CA — Nearly 1,400 Los Angeles Police Department employees — mostly sworn officers — are facing discipline for not submitting their coronavirus vaccination status to the city, Chief Michel Moore said Tuesday.

The disciplinary measures could include suspensions or terminations.

Under LA's controversial vaccine mandate, city employees are required to get vaccinated or seek a medical or religious exemption while paying for twice-weekly COVID tests until the exemption is approved. The union representing Los Angeles police officers sued the city on Friday to nullify the mandate.

In all 1,357 employees had failed to submit their vaccination status as of Friday. According to Moore, each commander has received a list of their names to begin enforcement of the city's vaccination and testing mandate.

Moore's enforcement of the city's law stands in contrast to Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who has launched a public campaign against the county's employee vaccination mandate. According to Villanueva, homicide rates will go up if law enforcement officers have to choose between vaccination and termination.

Moore also told the Police Commission the department currently has a total of 9,473 sworn personnel and 2,670 civilian personnel. However, he said, a "majority" of those who haven't reported their status were sworn employees. Moore said he did not have the exact number. Throughout the pandemic, the city's police and fire personnel have had lower vaccination rates than the overall population.

The first step in the disciplinary process will be a notification sent to each officer who has not yet reported their vaccination status, telling them to report their status within 48 hours. They will also be instructed to enter into an agreement to receive two tests per week, paid for by the individual employee.

If an employee does not submit information on their vaccination status, "the department, myself, will initiate disciplinary proceedings against the employees, civilian or sworn," Moore said.

"Ultimately, our goal is to have to a 100% fully vaccinated workforce."

The commanders also received lists of the officers who are seeking medical or religious exemptions. Those requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, according to the city, and if an exemption is approved, the employee will be required to test for COVID-19 once per week, but the tests will be paid for by the city.

The burden to get vaccinated or pay for COVID-19 tests is unfair, alleges the officers' union. In its lawsuit, the union alleges unfair labor negotiations related to the COVID-19 vaccination mandate for municipal employees. The union's Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit also seeks to stop the city from requiring unvaccinated employees who don't have exemptions to pay for their COVID tests, at $65 per test, twice a week.

Los Angeles' vaccination mandate was updated on Oct. 26, pushing back the deadline for employees to get vaccinated from Oct. 20 to Dec. 18.

Mayor Eric Garcetti called the mandate "critical to protecting the health and safety of our workforce and the Angelenos we serve."

Through Dec. 18, unvaccinated employees have to submit to two COVID-19 tests per week, and $65 per test will be deducted from their paychecks. Employees have to get tested during their free time, and testing has to be conducted "by the city or a vendor ... of the city's choosing," according to the CAO's report approved by the City Council on Tuesday.

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.