Chicago police officers are being forced to get vaccinated against the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) and report their vaccination status. Failure to comply means they may be punished or potentially lose their jobs. After hearing about the plight of officers in Chicago, officials in the neighboring state of Indiana are throwing the doors open to disgruntled cops, with the assurance that their rights as American citizens will not be violated.
As of Oct. 15, all of the Chicago Police Department's 12,000 or so officers are required to report their vaccination status. Those who chose not to get vaccinated are required to get tested for COVID-19 twice weekly. Non-compliance will result in a "no pay" status.
According to Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown, 67 percent of officers have already entered their information into the city's database. Out of those, 82 percent are vaccinated.
In a now-deleted tweet, Indiana State Police spokesman Sgt. Glen Fifield welcomed cops from Chicago. The tweet read: "Hey Chicago police officers, we’re hiring! No vaccine mandate … lower taxes, great schools, welcoming communities."
Chicago police officers who don't follow the vaccine mandate can have their pay and powers suspended. To date, at least 21 officers were already facing those consequences, said Brown. At least 4,000 officers have yet to disclose their vaccine status. (Related: The vaccine mandate is a hoax, and no entity or person in America is obliged to follow it.)
Chicago's Fraternal Order of Police has criticized coronavirus vaccine mandates. Members have even clashed with city officials on the issue publicly and encouraged officers to practice their freedom of choice and not comply.
One judge has already ordered John Catanzara, the local union president, to stop making statements. The city’s attorney also accused Catanzara of "municipal sedition and treason."
Earlier in October, Catanzara said Chicagoans should expect "a lot less officers on the street" because of oppressive coronavirus mandates.
Braun: Respect police officers
Some Indiana officials have offered to help police officers in Chicago, even promising that vaccination won't be a requirement if they seek employment in the state. Sen. Mike Braun took to Twitter to offer support to police officers from Chicago.
Braun said his office "stands ready to help connect Chicago police officers to an Indiana police department that is hiring now and doesn't have a vaccine mandate."
In a statement to Fox News, Braun said Chicago's police officers "deserve respect" that they aren't being shown, and they won't suffer the same "government overreach" in Indiana. Police officers have one of the hardest jobs and they deserve respect instead of losing their pay or being fired for not complying with a strict vaccine mandate, added Braun.
Steve Scheckel, chief of police in Munster, Indiana, echoed Braun's sentiment. He expressed his desire to help officers who want a "better quality of life for their family" after being fired from their jobs.
Scheckel said his department, which doesn't have a vaccine mandate, has already employed one officer from Chicago. While Munster is 30 minutes away from Chicago, Scheckel said that it's rated one of the 10 safest cities in the state of Indiana.
Catanzara clarified that police officers are not refusing to protect the citizens of Chicago. Instead, the city is refusing to let them protect the citizens of the state by enforcing the vaccine mandate without considering their right to health freedom.
If officers lose their jobs because of the vaccine mandate, several suburban counties surrounding Chicago said that their police departments will not help police the city.
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