By Suzie Ziegler
With the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines underway, many hope the end of the pandemic is in sight.
Healthcare workers are predominantly first in line, but police and other first responders are right on their heels. Here’s a roundup of agencies already offering the vaccine to all or some of their staff.
Austin Police Department (Texas)
Dozens of Austin police officers and firefighters go their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine Dec. 28.
https://twitter.com/KVUE/status/1343753631389122562
Blackman-Leoni Department of Public Safety (Mich.)
About 25% of the department received the vaccine Dec. 23.
https://twitter.com/MLive/status/1341836051099348992
Central Arizona College Police (Coolidge, Ariz.)
https://twitter.com/arizona_police/status/1344014305923006464
Clarksville Police Department (Tenn.)
Police and fire chiefs in Clarskville, Tennessee received the vaccine Dec. 30.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10160498515113056&id=317490663055
Colorado Springs Police Department (Colo.)
The city’s police chief, fire chief and the El Paso County undersheriff received the vaccine Dec. 30.
https://twitter.com/CSFDPIO/status/1344413892680806401
Dallas Police Department
Dallas Police’s Chief Medical Officer, Lt. Alex Eastman, took the vaccine Dec. 23.
https://twitter.com/DallasPD/status/1341779833177731072
Denison Police Department (Texas)
”Ultimately as public servants, we don’t have the luxury of not being around folks. So it makes me feel a little bit safer in reference to not exposing someone else to COVID,” said Chief Gudgel.
https://twitter.com/KXIITV/status/1345210713514663937
Honolulu Police Department
Honolulu’s Chief of Police took the vaccine Dec. 23.
https://twitter.com/policeofficer/status/1341696315072385025
Harris County Sheriff’s Office (Texas)
Medical personnel and front-line workers at the Harris County jail began receiving their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine this week.
https://www.facebook.com/HCSOTexas/posts/10158044994522549
Knoxville Police Department (Tenn.)
Police Chief Eve Thomas took the vaccine Jan. 4.
“Thank you to the Knox County Health Department for their tireless work throughout the pandemic and effort to distribute the vaccine to local first responders,” the agency wrote.
https://twitter.com/Knoxville_PD/status/1346122798675144707
Madison Police Department (Ala.)
https://twitter.com/madisonpoliceAL/status/1344289436687880194
Memphis Police Department (Tenn.)
Memphis police officers, command staff and other local first responders were given the COVID-19 vaccine Monday.
https://twitter.com/MEM_PoliceDept/status/1343669415527723008
Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (Tenn.)
Nashville’s Chief of Police took the vaccine Monday. “Didn’t feel it at all,” Chief Drake said.
https://twitter.com/MNPDNashville/status/1343553729119875073
Mt. Juliet Police Department (Tenn.)
Police in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee could start getting the vaccine Dec. 23, the agency said.
https://twitter.com/MtJulietPolice/status/1341762993672114179
New Britain Police Department (Conn.)
Police officers in New Britain, Connecticut, began getting the vaccine Jan. 3.
“This is a great way to start off 2021. Thank you to the Hospital of Central Connecticut for providing the vaccine,” the agency wrote.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CJluzGEMUcb/
Pueblo Police Department (Colo.)
https://twitter.com/PuebloPolice1/status/1346943597401268226
Prattville Police Department (Ala.)
https://twitter.com/ALNewsNetwork/status/1343944812786020352
University of Colorado Police Department (Aurora, Colo.)
Sgt. Kevin Lyster took the vaccine last week, nine months after his son died of COVID-19 in April. “Today is for Cody. I do this for my son,” Lyster told 9News.
https://twitter.com/MarcSallinger/status/1341600278966120448
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Police Department (Champaign County, Ill.)
Officers and the agency’s police chief took the vaccine Dec. 23.
https://twitter.com/UIPD/status/1341857749559328768
Wenatchee Police Department (Wash.)
https://twitter.com/Wenatcheeworld/status/1344704392415600645
Vaccines aren’t available to all law enforcement agencies yet as healthcare workers are predominantly first in line. In the meantime, some agencies are helping deliver vaccines to others who need them.
https://twitter.com/ChandlerPolice/status/1341148990784598020 https://twitter.com/policeofficer/status/1339627696322715651
Western Kentucky University Police Department (Bowling Green, Ky.)
https://twitter.com/wkupd/status/1342986884901961729
West Fargo Police Department (N.D.)
https://twitter.com/WestFargoPolice/status/1344697361482854400
West Valley City Police Department (Utah)
https://twitter.com/WVCPD/status/1346865875245174785