Date: March 19, 2024Author: Editor, cairnsnews 22 Comments
From ABC
Police officers who were kicked out of the force for refusing to get a Covid jab during the pandemic will never be able to rejoin the force, despite the vaccine mandate having been revoked.
The ongoing refusal comes despite Victoria Police being desperate to recruit staff and fill shortages across the state.
anything to do with VicPol after they
opened fire on unarmed civilian
protesters?(above)
Former cop Tristan Penfold said he would be willing to return to work immediately, but has been told the force would never allow him to return to work because he refused to be vaccinated during the pandemic.
Mr Penfold — who started in the police academy in 2019 — was stood down in late 2021 before being formally terminated from the force in January 2022.
He said he expressed an intention to get vaccinated but wanted to wait for the Novavax vaccine, which became available shortly after he was terminated.
Officers like Mr Penfold who failed to comply with the Chief Commissioner’s Instruction (CCI) or Victoria Police Manual (VPM) regarding vaccinate mandates were served with Discipline Charge Notices (DCN).
But now Mr Penfold is pleading to return to the job he once loved.
“There has not been a day gone by when I don’t miss being a police officer,” he said.
Melbourne streets for vaxx offenders 2020.
Then Premier Andrews said VicPol was not
responsible to the Victoria Parliament.https://cairnsnews.org/2021/08/27/victoria-police-now-independent-of-parliament-says-premier-andrews/
“It goes beyond frustrating. It’s gutting to see them look for new staff when I know that I could step back into the role straight away. I could fill a desperately needed hole.”
The Herald Sun late last year revealed the force’s staffing crisis was set to worsen, with a Police Association of Victoria survey revealing almost three out of four police officers were burnt out while more than one in four of the state’s 16,000 officers were planning to leave the job.
During his time with Victoria Police, Mr Penfold served in general duties and said he did everything from traffic enforcement to delivering death messages to families.
“I just want to know why can I not return to service for something so incredibly petty that is no longer relevant,” he said.
“I did nothing but give everything I had to the force. I didn’t return to work while I was unvaccinated like they asked. I wasn’t in breach of anything.”
The Herald Sun has obtained a letter from Chief Commissioner Shane Patton’s office which stated: “Victoria Police’s position is that former members previously dismissed via a disciplinary process are ineligible for re-employment with Victoria Police.”
A Victoria Police spokeswoman said all former police and PSOs seeking re-employment were required to undergo suitability assessments prior to returning to the force.
“The application process for all new and former police includes assessment by a suitability panel,” she said.
“The panel considers any probity issues including previous disciplinary matters and members who have resigned under investigation or have been
Opposition police spokesman Brad Battin said preventing former cops from returning was nonsensical.
“At a time we have crime increasing and police numbers declining it makes no sense to stop a capable and enthusiastic trained police officer returning,” he said.
“We need to put community safety first.”
*The February 27, 2024 Brisbane Supreme Court decision which ruled Covid mandates unlawful could eventually set a precedent for the wrongful dismissal of public servants.
Nelle's journey 