Las Vegas police union head says officers will disregard NFL’s new access policy

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The head of the Las Vegas police union said Friday that officers will not abide by the NFL’s new access policy for certain areas of Allegiant Stadium and that the league lacked the power to enforce those rules.

Steve Grammas, president of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, said union leaders spoke with NFL security officials for about an hour Friday morning, hours before the Raiders hosted the San Francisco 49ers in a preseason game.

He said the NFL was told officers would wear only wristbands to gain entry and not subject themselves to photo identification or any kind of biometrics. An officer standing near an Allegiant Stadium entrance about five hours before kickoff was wearing a wristband.

“They didn’t like it, but they didn’t have a choice,” Grammas said. “We told them what we were going to do.”

He said the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and Sheriff Kevin McMahill agreed with the union’s stance. The department released a statement last week backing the union when the issue arose leading into the Raiders’ preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys.

“We made it very clear we weren’t going to bend on this issue,” Grammas said.

The NFL didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, but the league released a statement last week detailing its new security plan that all 32 teams are being asked to implement. The league said access photos will be used only to verify a person’s identity and for no other purpose.

“We recognize the importance of our public safety partners and appreciate their efforts to ensure a safe gameday environment,” the NFL said. “We’ve had productive conversations with the LVPPA and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department about our modernized, secure credentialing system for all working staff. The credentialing system will enhance security at our stadiums, and we look forward to working with all stakeholders to address any questions or concerns raised.”