CPD Says 21 Officers Not Being Paid After Defying City's COVID Vaccine Mandate; Illinois FOP Castigates Mayor Lightfoot After Reports That She's Trying To Find Replacement Officers

CHICAGO (CBS) -- More than 20 Chicago police officers are no longer being paid after defying the city's vaccine mandate.

Police Supt. David Brown addressed the issue Tuesday. In some cases, officers who chose to leave are coming back, as CBS 2's Chris Tye reported.

There have been hundreds of sit-downs between employees and CPD leadership. There are many as 1,000 more to go.

These are people unwilling to provide vaccination status to CPD. The superintendent reveling the three-step process these workers go through.

Step 1: Clarification with supervisor -- Was this a clerical error?
Step 2: Talk with human resources to make sure this is an active decision they are making.
Step 3: Internal Affair to begin the formal entry into no-pay status.

These are the latest numbers: About 67% officers and civilians entered their vaccination status into the portal, the system where statuses are recorded. A third of staff not participating as of Tuesday night.

Of those participating, 82% are vaccinated. Those who are unvaccinated can be tested twice a week to continue working through the end of the year. There are 21 officers, CBS 2 has learned, that have been put on "no pay status" for failure to comply. Superintendent Brown said it's not putting Chicagoans at risk.

"I just haven't seen the data to support this. Officers have come to work. We are fully staffed. There hasn't been a shift that's been short. There hasn't been this 30, 40, 50% shortage that I've heard from various sources," Brown said. "Twenty-one people are on no pay status. Everyone else is at work."

The Fraternal Order of Police said the mandate is illegal and in violation of their collective bargaining agreement.