Shea: NYPD planning for 'very real possibility' of officer shortage due to vaccine mandate

NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea told PIX11's Dan Mannarino on Wednesday there is a "very real possibility" of an NYPD officer shortage next week once New York City's new vaccine mandate for city workers takes effect.

Shea said the department is continuing to work to get more of its employees vaccinated, with about 73% of the force having at least one shot, as of Tuesday.

The mandate takes effect Monday, Nov. 1, with more than 160,000 city workers needing to show proof of at least one vaccine shot by 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 29.

The commissioner said the department is planning for potential contingencies, such as overtime and double shifts, should hundreds or thousands of officers go on unpaid leave due to the mandate.

Shea also spoke about transparency from the NYPD as a judiciary inquiry hearing continues this week looking deeper into the death of Eric Garner in July 2014.

Plus, the commissioner commented on a recent report from the Civilian Complaint Review Board that says 65 officers should be disciplined for their acts during summer 2020 protests following George Floyd's murder.

Correction: This post has been updated to show the correct date city workers must show proof they have been vaccinated.