Two of Arizona’s most outspoken sheriffs are pushing back on calls that they force their deputies and civilian personnel to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, at a time when less than 50 percent of their staffs have pursued getting vaccinated.
Pinal County Sheriff Mark Lamb confirmed during a radio interview Friday that he has no intention of forcing his employees to be vaccinated against their will, particularly given the lack of “sufficient data” about the vaccinations.
“This is an important issue for me,” Lamb said in an appearance on 550 KFYI’s James T. Harris show. “I believe in allowing people to live their lives and make their own choices. And thankfully, I live in a county that’s not trying to force my employees to get it either.”
Lamb announced in June he tested positive for COVID-19 after flying to Washington D.C. to visit the White House. He recalled having felt a bit worn down before his travels out east but did not require medical care; the sheriff later drove back to Arizona and self-quarantined.
According to Lamb, no more than 40 percent of his staff have expressed an interest in getting the shots, which he called “a personal choice.” Lamb also does not force his deputies to utilize masks while on-duty and even encourages them to not wear a mask at times.
“I think it’s important that when we respond to a call that people can see our faces,” he said. “These are tough situations in the first place. We want to make sure they can see our faces and talk to us and that they feel we are part of the community.”
Lamb also said he is opposed to offering any incentives for public safety workers to be vaccinated, and that most of the police departments having discussions about mandatory staff vaccinations are municipalities where the chiefs “are beholden” to a city or town council to keep their jobs.
In Cochise County, Sheriff Mark Dannels confirmed his staff has indicated a similar hesitancy to the vaccination, although he made the choice to receive the two-dose vaccine. He told Arizona Daily Independent he has not discussed implementing an incentive program, instead choosing a proactive approach to ensuring his personnel are kept informed about COVID-19.
“We currently provide the facts and medical / scientific information to our employees to allow them to make an informed and personal decision regarding medical issues.” Dannels said. “A local physician and I discussed the vaccines, and he authored a document Myths v. Facts regarding the COVID vaccine as another valuable resource for my team members to review as they make their final decisions to receive the vaccine.”
Last week Dannels issued a statement to his staff and the community after being criticized because less than one-half of his employees reported being vaccinated. He pointed out that as Sheriff, he has no legal authority “to dictate to my staff or you that the vaccine will be injected into your arm.”
“Regarding any medical procedure or injection, the final decision rests with each one of us,” Dannels’ statement reads. “As Americans, we all make decision based on our own personal values and choices. Receiving the COVID vaccines remains within that category.”
The sheriff also disclosed he had been questioned about why he does not take steps to vaccinate inmates in the Cochise County jail, many of whom have not yet been convicted.
“Over the last year, we have modified our daily operations with hopes of reducing the spread of COVID in our facilities and jails,” Dannels noted, adding he cannot require vaccinations for inmates “as we do not force medications unless it’s under a physician’s direction and supported by our judicial system.”