Police Working Raiders Home Game Security Refuse NFL’s Request For Personal Info, Biometric Data; Police Still Working Security At Allegiant Stadium
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
Police working security at Raiders games at Allegiant Stadium have held their ground about refusing to hand over personal information to the National Football League and that decision has not stopped neither the NFL nor the Raiders from continuing to hire them for the security work.
LVSportsBiz.com Tuesday spoke with Steve Grammas, president of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, about police officers working Raiders games who do not comply with the NFL’s request that officers give the NFL information like fingerprints, emails, photos, next-of-kin and any other biometric data.
Grammas said the NFL informed him the officers’ personal information could be shared with “friends of the NFL” and “third party” sources — a policy the local police union opposed.
Instead, police at two Raiders preseason games at Allegiant Stadium Aug. 17 and Aug. 23 wore color-coded wristbands and, in Grammas’ words, there were “no issues.”
The union president said about 120-140 police officers work security at Raiders home games. The Metro police officers are working overtime and the stadium security is not part of their regular shifts.
LVSportsBiz.com has contacted the National Football League about the Las Vegas police union’s refusal to have officers provide personal info to the league and if we hear back from the NFL we will share the league’s comments in this story.
The NFL contacted police about the information protocols about five weeks ago, said Grammas, a 26-year Metro officer.
Grammas said the NFL told him Friday the new security information requirements were in the works for the past three to four years and they were considered “best practice” procedures.
But the union head said handing over the personal information violated officers’ privacy.
“At the end of the day we were not going to bend and not negotiate away any of the privacy,” Grammas told LVSportsBiz.com Tuesday.
He noted Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill and Metro police leadership are on board with the union taking its position regarding officers not providing personal information to the NFL.
Grammas said the NFL was under the incorrect impression that Las Vegas police working security at Las Vegas sports events like the National Finals Rodeo, the Las Vegas NBA Summer League and the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix had provided personal information to the sports events.
Grammas noted that police did provide info to the NFL to work the Super Bowl, but were told the league destroyed all personal information after the game.
As far as he knows, local police are ready to work security at Allegiant Stadium for the Raiders’ home-opener against the Carolina Panthers Sept. 22.
