NFL Bans Off-duty Officers' Guns in Stadiums

[CloakNNNdagger]

First, the NFL Clear Bag Policy, now................

Evidently, this has gone under the radar, but police received an internal memo on September 11 (same as effective date) that the NFL was banning all off-duty police from carrying in any NFL facility.

.........the president of the Cleveland Police Patrolman’s Association who says he is disappointed in the new regulation.

“A police officer is never happy to give up his service weapon, especially when we have the right to carry it, you know, 24 hours 7 days a week and we’re upheld by our oath too to protect and serve the public on or off duty,” said Jeff Follmer.

Follmer says Cleveland officers have other duties both before and after Browns games where they are required to be armed to fulfill their duty to protect and serve the public.

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Texas law overrides NFL; allows armed off-duty officers at games

By Ryan Wilson | CBSSports.com
October 11, 2013 2:03 pm ET

A new NFL policy would ban off-duty police officers from carrying guns into games, except in Texas, CBS Dallas/Fort Worth reports.

According to the NFL memo, "off-duty officers who attempt to bring firearms into an NFL facility will be denied entry," but a Texas state law supersedes NFL policy, and as long as officers check in at a specific gate to inform stadium security where they will be sitting, those officers can keep possession of their weapons.

“Our officers are 24/7, on or off duty, and if they run into a critical incident -- they are required to take action” Ron Pinkston of the Dallas Police Association said. “Our officers will be allowed to carry their weapon into AT&T Stadium and other football stadiums in the State of Texas due to Texas law.”

Texas Police Association president Mac Tristan understands why stadium security would want to know where cops with hidden guns are sitting. “I want a specific plan to know where all of my officers are.” says Tristan.

In other parts of the country, the NFL policy only allows law enforcement officers “specifically assigned to work security at the games, or private security officers contracted for stadium protection” to carry a gun.


Meanwhile, the NFL maintains that there is already enough security at stadiums on game days without the need for an armed off-duty police presence.

Also, keep in mind that the rule, which took effect Sept. 11, applies to all NFL facilities and extends to all off-duty federal, state and local law enforcement officers.............that includes FBI, DEA, Secret Service, etc. As it stands now, in states other than Texas, off-duty officers who attempt to bring firearms into an NFL facility will be denied entry. An armed officer will only be allowed inside a league facility if they are working an NFL game or event in an official capacity, according to the memo.