More than 230 Devon and Cornwall Police officers off work or self-isolating due to COVID-19
The local Police Federation is calling on the Government to prioritise policing for the vaccination
The operational effectiveness of Devon and Cornwall Police could come into question if officers are not given priority for the COVID-19 vaccine.
That's according to the Chairman of the force's Police Federation, Andy Berry - who has written to the area's MPs calling on the Government to change this.
Currently more than 230 officers in the two counties are off work with COVID-19 or are having to self-isolate. This is on top of more than 150 police staff colleagues off for virus related reasons and the other officers and staff who are off work for other sickness reasons.
"I absolutely understand the need to medically prioritise the elderly and vulnerable with vaccinations, but equally it must be a national priority to ensure that the police force remains effective, particularly now as we see the new COVID variant rampaging across the country.
"Many officers across Devon and Cornwall do not have the option of working from home, or within a Covid-secure office.
"They are out every day engaging with the public; they have to enter people's houses and other public places to do their job.
"They often have to get up very close to some people which can be due to them being a victim, witness, offender or a vulnerable person needing our help."
Andy Berry - Chairman of Devon and Cornwall Police Federation
Whilst "frontline health and social care workers" are second in the Government's published priority list for the vaccine roll-out, police officers do not feature at all on the advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.
According to the Government, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation "does not advise further prioritisation by occupation during the first phase of the Vaccination programme."
It adds: "Occupational prioritisation could form part of a second phase of the programme, which would include healthy individuals from 16 years of age up to 50 years of age, subject to consideration of the latest data on vaccine safety and effectiveness."