R.I. Not Tracking Vaccination Rate for Sheriffs, Troopers

Unlike many local police departments and agencies in Rhode Island, the state Department of Public Safety is not tracking COVID vaccination rates in its ranks.

The Department of Public Safety, which encompasses the Rhode Island State Police, Capitol Police, and Division of Sheriffs, is not monitoring who on its staff has received a vaccination. It is overseen by state police Col. James M. Manni.

"That's not something we are tracking," Maj. Laurie Ludovici said Monday. She emphasized that there is no vaccine mandate.

"Please be advised that neither the Rhode Island State Police nor the Rhode Island Division of Sheriffs maintains responsive records," Adam J. Sholes wrote for the department's Office of Legal Counsel in response to a public-records request.

Deputy sheriffs transport people to and from the Adult Correctional Institutions to state courthouses and provide courthouse security, staffing courtrooms and guarding judges. Capitol police officers provide security at the State House and courthouses statewide.

Mark Brayall, president of the RI Council 94 AFSCME AFL-CIO, which represents sheriffs, said he does not know his members' vaccination status, but he said they remain concerned about the COVID status of prisoners being transported and the transient population that visits the courthouse.

It is not unheard of for members to learn late in the day that someone they have transported tested positive, but federal privacy rules prevent members from learning the names of the inmates or staff members affected, he said. Those same inmates likely have ridden in the courthouse elevators, potentially exposing everyone on board.

"I want to know if the person I worked with tested positive," said Brayall, who has grave safety concerns because his daughter has cancer.

"It stinks wearing a mask, but you have to do it," he said.

A representative for the state troopers union could not be reached.

The medical director of the state Department of Corrections reported in March that 70% of staff and 74% of the people behind bars had received at least one dose, with the highest percentage of inmates in the medium-security unit vaccinated. Dr. Justin Berk, medical director for the Department of Corrections, said at the time that the prison system was approaching herd immunity.

Those numbers had shifted as of Monday, with 72% of corrections staff fully vaccinated and 61% of the people who are incarcerated receiving both doses. The highest percentage of unvaccinated people behind bars is in the Intake Service Center, which primarily houses men whose cases are being prosecuted. There, 471 of 753 men are not vaccinated, which means only about 37% of that population has been inoculated.

On Sept. 10th, there were six active COVID cases among the prison population, five of which were housed in the Intake Service Center and one in the women's facility. There were two active cases among department staff.

COVID by the numbers

Cases in R.I.: 169,350 (901 reported Monday)
Negative tests in R.I.: 4,942,299 (41,868 reported Monday; 2.1% positive rate)
R.I. COVID-related deaths: 2,815 (3 reported Monday)
Rhode Islanders hospitalized with COVID: 119 (18 in intensive care)
Fully vaccinated in R.I.: 704,793 (771,338 at least partially vaccinated)
Cases in Mass.: 790,953
Mass. COVID-related deaths: 18,445
Cases in U.S.: 42,219,
U.S. COVID-related deaths: 675,446