WENDELL — The town’s Selectboard used a portion of Wednesday night’s meeting to address a resident’s letter expressing concern after learning that at least one police officer in a contracted neighboring town does not want to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Sam Hathaway authored the letter after reading that two full-time Leverett police officers have declined the COVID-19 vaccination. Wendell is in a short-term agreement with Leverett regarding calls for policing service until July 1, by which time a longer-term inter-municipal agreement is expected to be in place.
“This is worrisome for us,” Hathaway’s letter reads. “Since so few regular people have gotten vaccinated so far, we think it’s especially important for first responders to be vaccinated. We don’t want unvaccinated first responders working in Wendell. In the unlikely event that someone in our town comes into close contact with an officer, we’d hate to think that in addition to being in whatever kind of emergency is already happening they could be getting exposed to COVID-19.”
At Wednesday’s meeting, Wendell Selectboard Chair Dan Keller said he understands the concern but does not feel qualified to encourage or discourage vaccination.
“I feel that it is largely a question of personal conscience and there may be valid reasons for not getting it,” he said. “Whether or not first responders should need to get it is the question I don’t think we need to decide. I hope not.”
The Leverett Selectboard sent its Police Department a letter to encourage all its staff to get the vaccine. Wendell Selectboard members Gillian Budine and Laurie DiDonato asked Town Administrator Nancy Aldrich to draft a similar letter. Keller said he does not object to the letter being written, but mentioned he will not add his signature to it, citing his earlier comments.
Leverett Police Chief Scott Minckler told the Greenfield Recorder that one of the two officers who had originally declined vaccination has had a change of heart; the other is “still on the fence” and will meet with a Leverett Selectboard member to discuss the concern. Minckler said he has nine officers — three full-time and six part-time.
“It’s their option,” he said regarding vaccination.
Minckler said all other officers were willing to get vaccinated and have already received their first dose, as has he. He said he is set to get his second dose in mid-February.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Budine and DiDonato said they want to encourage vaccination without requiring it.
“We don’t know what somebody’s health situation is, whether they have reasons why they can’t get the vaccination, or if it’s an increased risk for them to get the vaccination,” Budine said, adding that she plans to get the vaccine.
DiDonato said she doesn’t “see any reason not to highly encourage it.” She also said having an officer who can’t or won’t get vaccinated makes it possible they’ll be unable to respond to an emergency involving an unvaccinated person.
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.