Cressida Dick: It ‘doesn’t feel right’ to get Covid vaccine before frontline Metropolitan Police officers

UK On Lockdown Due To Coronavirus Pandemic
Dame Cressida Dick
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Daniel O' Mahony13 January 2021

Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick has questioned why she and her entire Scotland Yard management board are scheduled to receive the Covid-19 vaccine before frontline officers.

Britain’s most senior police chief said it “doesn’t feel right” that she would get the jab “before my frontline guys and girls”.

Under the Government’s vaccines delivery plan, published on Monday, police officers are not considered a priority group and can be expect to vaccinated according to age or clinical vulnerability.  

Dame Cressida, 60, is among a number of police leaders pushing for frontline officers to be prioritised for the jab, after the most vulnerable in society have received it.

On a visit to Wembley stadium, where Met officers are being trained to assist the capital’s ambulance service, she said: “I think in order for my people to keep the public safe they should be prioritised for vaccinations.

“I find it hard to understand personally how, if I’ve read it right, 32 million people including people like me and my whole management board who aren’t frontline, are going to get a vaccination before my frontline guys and girls.

“It doesn’t feel right to me so I am in conversation with the Government and we will continue that conversation.”

On Tuesday Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that ministers will consider whether key workers such as police, teachers and essential shop staff should be prioritised once the most vulnerable have received the coronavirus vaccine.

Dame Cressida added: “The plan that was unveiled by the Government on Monday evening, if I’ve read it right, suggests that we’ll have completed the first few cohorts, all going well, by the middle of February.

“There are then a number of other cohorts which will be completed by the spring, and none of those include police officers.

“My view is that my frontline officers who put themselves at risk every day, who have been out there since March last year dealing with unknown situations, who can’t always put on huge amounts of equipment, who go to speak to people or work with people who might be drunk, angry, violent, very upset, who may on occasions spit, bite, sadly be bleeding of course.

“People – who won’t always comply – who the officers are talking to and dealing with, victims and offenders, when they have to get up close and personal.

“I believe that clearly they have been putting themselves at risk and they continue to do so. It is a mission critical service. We need it to continue to run, we are in a health crisis.”

Reporting by PA

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