KTLA

Riverside County sheriff says he won’t impose COVID vaccine mandates

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco speaks in a video released on Dec. 4, 2020.

As President Biden escalates his administration’s efforts to require Americans to get vaccinated, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco says he will not enforce any vaccine mandates for Sheriff’s Department employees.

Describing himself as “the last line of defense from tyrannical government overreach,” Bianco on Monday doubled down on statements he made during a Thursday episode of the department’s podcast, “RSO Roundup,” in which he said he believes vaccines are a personal choice.


“The government has no ability and no authority to mandate your health choices,” Bianco said in a statement. “I will not enforce the vaccine mandate on Sheriff’s Department employees.”

In July, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a health order requiring state workers to provide proof of vaccination or submit to regular COVID-19 testing. Some counties, including Los Angeles, have gone a step further by mandating vaccines for municipal employees — a move that already has spurred a lawsuit from some members of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.