COVID-19: Five serving Metropolitan Police officers die with coronavirus this month
Written by News on 27/01/2021
The Metropolitan Police Commissioner has said she is “deeply saddened” after five serving officers died with coronavirus this month.
Dame Cressida Dick said policing is a “family” and her officers “cannot fight crime or protect the vulnerable by working at home”.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the news was “deeply upsetting”, adding that it was “crucial” emergency service workers are vaccinated as soon as possible.
Scotland Yard said Traffic Police Community Support Officer Chris Barkshire died on 11 January.
Constable Michael Warren, who was part of the Territorial Support Group, died on 19 January. He was classed as vulnerable and had been shielding and working at home, the Met said.
On Sunday, Police Constable John Fabrizi, who worked in Camden, passed away.
His local force posted a tribute on Twitter, saying he was a “much loved officer” who did “so much good in one lifetime”.
Police Constable Sukh Singh from the Met’s forensic command died on Monday.
And in the last 24 hours, a custody sergeant from Met Detention who is yet to be named has also lost his life to COVID-19.
In her comments, Dame Cressida also mentioned three other colleagues who died with coronavirus last year.
She said: “I’m deeply saddened by the news that in recent days and weeks COVID has taken five of our colleagues from us. Policing is a family and the scale of our loss is truly shocking.
“As this recent awful news shows, policing is not immune and it is inevitable that our officers and staff in fighting crime, responding to emergencies, and just in living within their communities will come into contact with the virus.
“Police officers and many of our staff cannot fight crime or protect the vulnerable by working at home.”
Mr Khan said: “Our hardworking and dedicated police officers and staff have been on the frontline throughout this pandemic, and I know Londoners will join me in paying tribute to them and offering our support to the Met police family who will be grieving at this difficult and challenging time.
“It’s crucial our key workers, including our emergency services, get the vaccine as swiftly as possible, and I’ll continue to do everything I can to put pressure on the government to speed up the rollout so we can protect those who serve to protect us.”
(c) Sky News 2021: COVID-19: Five serving Metropolitan Police officers die with coronavirus this month
