Police union: Officers may boycott 49ers over Kaepernick

[demmiblue]

Source: Sacramento Bee/AP

The union for police officers who work San Francisco home games says its members may boycott policing the stadium if the 49ers don't discipline Colin Kaepernick for refusing to stand during the national anthem and for his statements about law enforcement.

A letter from the Santa Clara Police Officers Association sent to the 49ers was obtained Friday by KNTV-TV, the NBC affiliate in San Jose.

It says that Kaepernick's protest has "threatened our harmonious working relationship" with the 49ers. About 70 officers from the Santa Clara Police Department patrol Levi's Stadium when the 49ers play there.

"If the 49ers organization fails to take action to stop this type of inappropriate behavior it could result in police officers choosing not to work at your facilities," the letter reads. "The board of directors of the Santa Clara Police Officer's Association has a duty to protect its members and work to make all of their working environments free of harassing behavior."

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nfl/article99832247.html#storylink=cpy

[La Lioness Priyanka]

1. officers need to understand the 1st amendment

before we release them on the general population

[mythology]

38. They aren't asking for a law to be passed to deny him the right to his protest

The first amendment says nothing about there being no consequences to one's speech.

[tonedevil]

42. Nobody says the police...

shouldn't suffer any consequences for failing to do there jobs either. They are threatening to violate their contract, Mr. Kaepernick is not.

[pintobean]

48. No, they're not.

Working games is voluntary. The 49ers can hire off-duty, uniformed cops for security. They can't force any cop to work that duty.

[CreekDog]

50. I don't see firefighters threatening stuff like this

Nor groups of doctors or nurses

[pintobean]

54. Do firefighters do secondary duty jobs at the stadium, creekdog?

Did someone in the 49ers organization call firefighters, doctors, or nurses murderers?

[CreekDog]

70. It's not secondary, read the articles, it's overtime at their current job

when they are on duty, they are employees of the city of Santa Clara, not the 49ers.

this isn't "rent a cop" duty at a bar or night club where the owner is the employer, the city is the employer.

[pintobean]

77. That's how secondary works.

It's strictly voluntary. No cop is required to work secondary. It's not like regular overtime, like working 12 on and 12 off because there are riots going on, or maybe a crosswalk emergency.

[tonedevil]

51. You are correct...

I should have read more and let myself wake-up. Now I see its a threatening letter from the thugs at the police union. I'm going out on a limb here and say the 49ers can find security without the cry baby gang of blue that penned that vial excretion.

[pintobean]

55. I thought "thug"

was the new rwnj replacement for the n-word.

[tonedevil]

61. I'm trying to give it back...

to its rightful owners.

[standingtall]

62. Those consequences should consist of someone else

using their first amendment right to call you an asshole. Not losing your job or being forced to relocate to another city. The National Labor Relations Board has something to say about free speech in the workplace.A law is already on the books to protect free speech in the workplace and I'm tired of people pretending it doesn't exist just because it has no teeth. Which is why this particular police union is hypocritical.

[Hortensis]

64. Way beyond just hypocritical, imo. They have very bad leadership

and very poor understanding of the principles our nation was founded on. How DARE they try to ruin this 28-year-old's career over this issue?

[shenmue]

78. So let's just not protect everybody else in the stadium

[La Lioness Priyanka]

82. This is governmental persecution for free speech

Not individual criticism

[onecaliberal]

2. Just goes to show how pathetic they are.

Tax payers should decide to stop paying these assholes

[bravenak]

3. Waaaahh!

Silly piggies...

[melman]

60. Thoughtful contribution

[SMC22307]

68. Anti-cop internet tough guys (and gals) are a never-ending source of entertainment.

I'd PAY to see one of them say "waaaaah!" or "fuck you" to a cop. And to see how their out-from-behind-the-keyboard demeanor changes if truly in need of a cop's services (e.g., broken down on the side of the road, followed home by an aggressive driver, armed robbery, mailbox theft/credit card fraud (just a couple of things I've needed police for)).

"Waaaah!," indeed. LOL

[DLevine]

71. Saying fuck you to a cop could get you killed. No thanks. nt

[SMC22307]

72. I wonder how many times throughout any given day...

"fuck you" is said to a cop, and how many "fuck you-ers" are killed.

[pintobean]

73. Ferguson comes to mind.

Thousands of fuck yous, 0 fuck you-ers killed. Two cops were shot, though - without any fuck yous.

[SMC22307]

75. There ya go. (n/t)

[DLevine]

74. I know people have died as a result of not showing a cop sufficient respect.

A cop has a license to kill. Even if he doesn't kill you, he can seriously fuck you up. Cops scare the crap out of me.

[librarylu]

4. That sounds like blackmail.

Do your jobs, officers. And try not to shoot any unarmed black people.

[RandySF]

86. Working the game is voluntary overtime.

[librarylu]

89. Oh, okay.

I know as little about sports as possible, unathletic person that I am.

I'm fine with them staying away then if they're going to be like that.

[RandySF]

90. Then the '9ers will need private security

And check out how that went for some English soccer clubs.

[Brickbat]

5. I thought the reason we're supposed to admire cops is that they protect and serve no matter what.

I respect the right to withdraw one's labor as a form of protest -- but if they do it simply because they don't like what someone said, then they don't get the honors and accolades they seem to think they're entitled to.

[Iggo]

13. Really! They only protect people who are nice to them? Well.Fuck.Them.

[treestar]

52. I agree. Those cops deserve censure

Everyone deserves to be protected and served no matter what their attitude. The high road would be to recognize his rights and assert that he deserves the same protection everyone else does.

[backscatter712]

67. Exactly. This is incredibly unprofessional of the SFPD and their pig union. n/t

[jaysunb]

6. LOL ! and miss that overtime/bonus check ! ok LOL n/t

[Scurrilous]

9. Exactly.

And they get to attend games for free.

Like they'll give that up over some socks or whatever.

[Iggo]

7. Good. Fuck 'em.

:middlefinger:

[alcibiades_mystery]

8. It's an eye-opener

Our police are a bunch of poorly trained, incompetent babies.

[MohRokTah]

10. So now the SFPD is running an ideological protection racket. eom

[jaysunb]

11. Well put. Wish someone would send this to them. n/t

[Brother Buzz]

12. Santa Clara

The Forty Niners bailed on the City and moved to Santa Clara. Candlestick is history

[sakabatou]

19. I remember that place

Friggin' cold, it was really hard to hear announcements. Probably other things.

[Brother Buzz]

21. Ninety cents admission for the open and totally exposed right field bleachers

We were always toasty warm as long as we stayed in our sleeping bags, and that was for summer baseball. Left field general admission offered a little more protection, but the requisite $2.75 was a little pricey for me back in those days. Willie Mays ALWAYS tossed the outfield warm-up ball into the right field bleachers just before the game, and it was an event that was more significant and uplifting than that National Anthem mumbo-jumbo in my young baseball crazed mind. I was sad to see the bleaches disappear when they completed the wrap-around reconfiguration for football.

[yuiyoshida]

80. My family had 49ers season tickets for years, but the team moved on...

My family moved on as well. We Support the Raiders!

[ncjustice80]

14. Fire every officer who participates in the boycott. n/t

[pintobean]

16. Very Reaganesque.

[ncjustice80]

96. Their boycott is racist.

Do you want racist police officers working? I sure don't. They show their true colors and are unable to do their supposed jobs.

[pintobean]

15. Here's the text of the letter, if anyone cares

The excerpt in the OP isn't a very good characterization.

http://www.santaclarapoa.com/images/articles/POAletter_to_49ers.pdf

[Jim Beard]

17. I wish more of the players would join in.

[SwankyXomb]

18. Awww, MurderKop haz a sad.

[muntrv]

20. Cibil dissent is for white people only. See link below.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/civil-dissent-is-only-for-white-people-column/ar-AAiixVa

[Egnever]

30. Says who?

[gratuitous]

22. So the 49ers and Kaepernick can expect a refund?

I mean, they're taxpayers too, aren't they?

[DLevine]

23. Assholes. nt

[pintobean]

24. DU is supporting a 1%er, who says Hillary should be in prison

over public employees and their union.
And, said employees are assholes who should be fired, because they may refuse to volunteer their free time to work for a corporation.

Our rudder is broken.

[DLevine]

25. These cops need to suck it up and take a little criticism

instead of acting like a bunch of whiny crybabies.

[pintobean]

28. Did you read the letter?

http://www.santaclarapoa.com/images/articles/POAletter_to_49ers.pdf

They have a legitimate beef. They're exercising their rights, just like Kaepernick.

[DLevine]

29. Yes I did read it. It was pathetic.

They seem to think the world revolves around them and their hurt feelings. Sure, they have every right to overreact to a football player criticising them, but they are revealing themselves as self-absorbed entitled shitheads, in my opinion.

[Egnever]

32. No sorry I don't think they do have a legitimate beef

Who is allowed to critique them. Without repercussions?
Collin can't so who can?

They are public servants they need to shut the fuck up and do their job they don't get to tell anyone what they can and can't say. If they can't handle that they need a other job. The reason Collin is saying this stuff is exactly because the police have lost their fucking minds and think they rule society. This letter is a glaring example of it.

They represent the government the government does not get to say shit about anyone's free speech period end of fucking story.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

76. I doubt this will make you feel better but: The police have no obligation to protect.

If you have a restraining order against someone and that someone is actively violating it, if the police have a crime reported to them or even if they observe a crime being committed they are under no obligation of law to act on your behalf.

[Egnever]

81. Don't get me wrong

I actually respect the police most of the time. I have had a lot of encounters with them in my time and most of them have been handled professionally even when I was less than pleasant. Now admittedly I am white and I have no doubt my experience is not the same as a person of colors.

That said I think there are way too many incidents of them using force first and asking questions later no matter what color you are. The force as a whole and the system that watches over it deserves a lot of criticism.

This letter that is supposedly reasonable, and starts off being so, ends with a demand for Collin to be silenced and the use of a veiled threat. That is out of control behavior in my opinion over someone exercising their 1st amendment rights. Do they do the same for other free speech issues? Of course not but when it is pointed at them all of a sudden they think they can silence dissent.

Nope sorry that is crossing the line IMHO.

Here's an idea recognize that collins opinion is not coming from a vacuum and work on addressing it.

I recognize it is not an easy fix. Obviously we don't want to put officers in danger but it is getting to the point where the cops are in many cases the danger in the situation not the people they are interacting with(the video of the cops with kids at the pool party jumps immediately to mind as an example). That is dangerous for all sides. They need to stop denying there is a problem.

[Skittles]

83. really nice way to solve any problems

if someone calls you a pig, will you be meeting them half-way

ugh

[Egnever]

92. I am not the government or a representative of the government

There is no half way. The police force is governed by laws not negotiations. It's not a negotiation the fact they think it is is the problem.

[tonedevil]

44. Not all of us enjoy...

the taste of jackboots.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

26. I support the 1%er. I support his right to protest, or to be an asshole, ...

... and I support your right to interpret his actions as you please.

It works for him. He's getting more publicity for sitting on the bench than he ever got for playing.

The media makes a big deal out of his sitting. His stated reason for sitting is not getting much air.

[deathrind]

34. The rudder is not broken...

...its completely gone.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

37. No, we are supporting the first amendment

Which is far more important than some partisan shit.

[pintobean]

39. Cops have first amendment rights, too

which they're exercising.

And, this is a partisan website. The cops aren't calling for our candidate for president to be imprisoned, Kaepernick is.

[Exilednight]

43. They only have the right when they're not on duty. While on duty

they are suppose to be protectors and servants of the community they have taken an oath to.

Any other argument is foolhardy and ignorant.

If they aren't getting paid and out of uniform, then fine their rights are intact and I am sure the 49ers will find replacements to fill those shoes.

[pintobean]

47. No, they have those rights while on duty

There may be consequences if they do so, though; just like Kaepernick doing it on company property and time.

And, this came from the union, not the PD - so they weren't on duty.

[standingtall]

65. Their hypocrits sorry

This isn't some random police officer,but the police officers union doing this. Unions exist to protect workers rights not trample on them. Police unions are like the teamsters of the 60's and 70's where they only care about their rights and the hell with everyone else. If they don't like what he said so they want to volunteer for games fine,but they should not being leveraging this to get him to shut up or get fired or get traded.

[onecaliberal]

46. I disagree with kaepernicks ideology vehemently, however, he HAS a right to protest and

The police attitude is telling.

[Egnever]

27. That would be really stupid

[DinahMoeHum]

31. I say let those crybabies walk out. . .

because believe me, there are others out there willing to take their place at the stadium, maybe even for free.

[ecstatic]

33. Overly controlling thugs and bullies.

Once again, they're showing their true colors. If they let the cops get away with their bullying, I hope all hell breaks loose in the NFL. It's time for athletes to use their influence and become more than just props.

[Historic NY]

40. I imagine they can hire triple the amt. of security with a private firm for what they pay SCPD.

[MichMan]

41. If they did everyone here would have a fit also

If that occurred there would be a whole level of umbrage in DU that they were hiring non union privatized untrained psychopath rent a cops that were not accountable to anyone......

[tonedevil]

45. I don't see the difference...

since you just described SFPD to a T.

[immoderate]

57. Word!

--imm

[Travis_0004]

79. I imagne they can hire replacement workers for just about any strike at a cheaper price

Would you support that also?

[Historic NY]

95. How police security works at 49ers games, other stadiums.........

http://www.ninersnation.com/2016/9/4/12791352/police-security-49ers-games-colin-kaepernick-protest

[RandySF]

91. English soccer clubs had a very poor experience with private security

[Johonny]

49. This is probably not the best way to fix a public image problem

[Loki]

53. Serve and Protect

Needs to be removed as their motto. The will serve only if they agree with you and protect, well they will protect the KKK and Aryan Nations when they spread their hatred by parading on our streets , but will shoot a deaf man and pepper spray an 84 year old woman without repercussions

[matt819]

56. Fine

Boycott away.

Either the stadium bangs enemy will cave or they won't. I hope they don't.

And if they don't cave, someone else will get the security guard money.

[Rex]

58. Did they need permission? Wow, that makes them look really weak.

SF officers cannot think for themselves and express themselves if they want to? Did not know that.

[melman]

59. So they're 'wah wah-ing'

But the football guy isn't.


Okay.

[CBGLuthier]

63. Is there a clause in their contract for hurt feelings? Otherwise fire em if they boycott.

[RandySF]

87. Working the gAme is voluntary overtime.

[backscatter712]

66. Fucking pigs...

[Skittles]

84. stereotyping again?

don't even bother replying because I am over and out for good with you

[etherealtruth]

69. Wow, could they be any more tone deaf than this?

Police departments across the US are struggling to repair their (deservedly) damaged reputations related to police violence, racism, incompetence and corruption (i.e lying , covering for each other).

In the face of widespread criticism (and outrage) related to police misconduct I am not sure they could have been any more tone deaf. They are responding this way to a symbolic protest ( not disruptive, non-violence inciting, simply symbolic) ...????? It defies all logic.

We really need to attract and retain a higher caliber of person to be police officers in this country. it should be a profession enters in order to engage in public service ... it should not be a profession that attracts those seeking power .


Imagine how much more they would have helped their reputation had they simply said .... we respect all peoples right to express their opinion. This is not an accurate portrayal in our opinion, however, we are sworn to protect and serve those we agree with and those we disagree with.

[Red Mountain]

85. They aren't hired to protect Kaepernick

They are hired to protect the general public attending the game.

If Kaepernick's protest is so detestable to them that they can't perform that function, then so be it. Private security would be a better option. If it is an option.

Begs the question, though.......do the police only protect those people with whom the union agrees? The vast majority of fans stand for the anthem so what is the problem? Does the police union feel it is better to sacrifice the fans willing to show up to make a point? What is that point?


Do they treat other segments of society with the same disdain?


Answer: Yes. That is the point.

[RandySF]

88. Isn't working the game voluntary overtime?

Maybe the '9ers can just hire their own security.

[mitch96]

93. Didn't the police unions have a hissy fit at Beyonce also?

Boycott her shows??? How far did that go..

Once they realized they would loose a bunch of money the tune changed..

Give it 24-48 hr news cycle and it will be forgotten like the Beyonce thing
m

[La Lioness Priyanka]

94. Yes.

[Aristus]

97. Am I supposed to respect cops who choose who they will and will not serve?

Sounds like the job description of a mall-cop, not a real cop.

Protect and serve. Or turn in your badge.