Kan. Sheriff Calls Office 'Safe Haven' for 'Undervalued' Officers
By Luke Nozicka
Source The Kansas City Star
Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden on Thursday issued a statement saying his office was a "safe haven" for officers across the U.S. who feel "unsupported and undervalued" by their communities.
In what appeared to be a recruitment effort, Hayden said officers in dozens of cities are deciding whether to leave in the face of declining budgets, low morale and "government overreach." That won't happen at his office, he said.
"People may say this is all about the vaccine, but that's missing the point. This issue is so much more than that. This is about valuing, empowering and supporting individual decisions," Hayden said. "The Sheriff's Office is a large family of unique, highly-trained professionals dedicated to serving our citizens. ... We trust our staff to make the best decisions for themselves and our citizens."
Hayden previously said the sheriff's office will not require employees who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to undergo weekly testing, which went against the county's rules for employees.
The sheriff's statement released Thursday garnered mixed reactions on social media, with messages supporting it and others criticizing it, as people honed in on his mention of the vaccine.
Mark Schmid, president of JOCO United, a citizen advocacy group that works to foster relationships with law enforcement, told The Star that Hayden was correct in saying the community values law enforcement.
"Is the statement about the vaccine?" Schmid said. "Clearly the answer is yes. He's trying to take advantage of the fact that other places are firing people and he's looking to maybe obtain some new people."
Across the U.S., first responders have been hit hard by the virus but have been resistant to vaccine mandates, according to The Associated Press. COVID-19 was the "leading cause of law enforcement line-of-duty deaths," the AP reported in June.
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