The following checklist of considerations is offered as guidance to law enforcement agencies without an established emergency operations plan, and as additional points of consideration for agencies with an established emergency operations plan. March 10, Communicate clearly, consistently, and frequently with agency staff about changing policies and procedures. Prepare officers to answer questions about testing kit availability, travel restrictions, quarantine and isolation, personal safety measures including who the public should call for such information.
Designate a command staff leader or team to spearhead coordination with external agencies and disseminate information to agency staff. Provide personal protective equipment PPE to all officers with training on its proper wear, removal, and disposal. Put together Go-Bags that include PPE for officers and first aid supplies for response to community members. Increase the frequency of disinfecting patrol cars, holding cells, locker rooms, break rooms, and other agency facilities to reduce exposure to the virus.
Develop a contingency plan for staffing shortages. Prepare for officers to call out of work out of an abundance of caution or because they or a family member is ill.
Consider alternative staffing methods such as shared service provision with neighboring agencies, swing shifts, mandatory overtime, cancellation of leave and non-essential travel, and repurposing of officer flex time. Cross-train personnel for temporary duty reassignment to assure proper coverage of essential duties. Evaluate what services require an on-scene police presence versus those that can be handled by alternative means such as by phone or online.
Organize a network of off-duty personnel who are on-call and ready to report for duty, if a shift has a critical shortage of officers. Annual Reports. IACP Locations. Scroll to preview content. Please sign in to read and get access to more member only content. Log In. Learn More. They will start on Monday to give them time to prepare for a different shift. Their usual work will take a backseat while they help with calls for service, said Smyth.
The police service started looking at redeployment options once the number of staff on sick leave climbed above 10 per cent. It has about 1, officers and about civilian employees. The service was bracing for more staff to go on COVID-related leave during a wave fuelled by the highly transmissible Omicron variant. If that happens, officers could be drawn from other areas such as traffic services or investigative units such as major crimes, said Smyth.
There is still "a little way to go for that" to occur, said Smyth, who acknowledged the service is at the mercy of the virus and its spread within the community. The circumstances dictate that," he added. Some Winnipeg police officers have volunteered to work overtime to help fill staffing shortages. Of those on leave, Smyth was not aware how many had been unvaccinated. More than 97 per cent of staff have been vaccinated against COVID, he said, and assumed a majority of those affected have had their shots.
The City of Winnipeg recently expanded its vaccine mandate to require all city employees to by fully vaccinated by mid-February. Staff who do not get vaccinated or have an exemption must take regular tests and complete an online vaccine education course.
A police source said the number of general patrol officers "is always kind of running at bare minimum, at the best of times.
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