I’ve served four Johnson County sheriffs. Unvaccinated officers are unfit for duty

For more than 35 years, I was the department psychologist for the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, serving four sheriffs from Fred Allenbrand to Frank Denning. As a police psychologist to more than 65 state and local agencies in Kansas and Missouri, I have conducted over 10,000 hiring and fitness for duty evaluations since 1981. I have also taught at several regional police academies, including that of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.

Locally, my associates and I have always followed national standards in screening our law enforcement officers. We interview and test for intelligence, judgment, emotional stability, social competence, drive, initiative, flexibility, adaptability, integrity, ethics, avoidance of substance abuse and risk-taking behavior, lack of prejudice and bias, and attention to safety, among other qualities. Candidates who are deficient in these areas receive a limited endorsement for hiring, and when the deficiencies are serious, we give an unqualified, unsuitable recommendation against hiring.

Law enforcement officers have a duty to protect the safety of the community and each other. They are required to follow safety protocols and department policies, and they receive extensive training before going on the street. Their training focuses on safety as well as skills, and with regard to the dangerous aspects of the job, such as firearm use, they are required to recertify regularly.

Candidates with a history of problem behaviors — such as a disregard for health and safety, or a propensity to put themselves or others at risk — are not recommended for hiring. Employed officers referred for fitness for duty evaluations and who have these safety risk issues are not deemed fit for duty. They are recommended for training or treatment before returning to duty.

It was recently reported that 50% of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office personnel have not been fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Because of poor leadership and likely for political reasons, they have not been required to do so. Unvaccinated staff members are not even to be routinely tested. This is serious: At least 103 police officers have died of COVID-19 in 2021, and five died in Florida in just one recent week.

As a psychologist experienced in assessing officer suitability, and as a consultant who has proudly devoted much of his professional life to insuring the quality, safety and wellness of the sheriff’s office community, I am now concerned that half of the current sheriff’s office personnel are not fit for duty.

We are in a health crisis, and even children are dying. Vaccines are effective, available and strongly recommended, and the duty of law enforcement is to protect public safety. Officers are also expected to have a respect for the safety of one another. There is no excuse for a sheriff’s office employee not being vaccinated, unless for medical reasons.

This is not a “freedom” issue. What would we think of an officer with poor eyesight electing not to wear glasses or contacts because they were uncomfortable? Imagine the consequences. Could we put our full trust in that officer?

A police officer who refused to wear her uniform, who drank on duty, who violated the department’s pursuit policy, or who lied about detaining a suspect — such an officer would be removed from duty. Yes, we have a “right” to wear what we want, to drink, to drive recklessly and to lie, but not as public safety officers. This job comes with serious responsibility, and we screen for individuals who are capable and fully committed to public service, whatever they might personally believe.

There are two reasons unvaccinated officers today are unfit for duty. First is their dereliction of duty to protect public safety. Second, their refusal to take a simple step to protect themselves and others — because of personal beliefs or preferences — raises the serious question of what other safety steps they might choose not to take. In what other ways might such officers elect to operate outside their role based just on their own desires or ideology? Not getting vaccinated is a red flag regarding the fitness, commitment and professionalism of officers.

Yes, their sheriff should have provided leadership on vaccinations. But these unvaccinated sheriff’s personnel are adults who knowingly committed themselves to law enforcement, and to the sacrifices of lifestyle and personal preferences that come with the job. They should not have to be told how to behave responsibly in this public health crisis or as sworn officers of the law. It is this refusal to act responsibly, even more than just not getting vaccinated, that raises concern about their fitness “to serve and protect.”

Daniel Claiborn is founder and former CEO of Forensic Psychology Associates, a firm that provides psychological evaluations and support for more than 60 Kansas and Missouri police and fire departments.

This story was originally published August 25, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "I’ve served four Johnson County sheriffs. Unvaccinated officers are unfit for duty."