The Discussion over Colin Kaepernick’s decision to sit during the national anthem has become the latest topic to divide the public, adding to the already volatile debate over police brutality and race relations in the country. Many have called for rallies around the 49ers backup, while others have referred to him as a ‘traitor.’ Many of Kaepernick’s teammates have also apparently rallied around his newly clarified position, but there could be another issue growing at Levi’s Stadium.
According to NBC News, members of the Santa Clara Police Department could be mulling a boycott of security for San Francisco’s home games this season:
The Santa Clara Police Department is the lead police agency at Levi’s Stadium. During 49er games, around 70 officers volunteer to work and are paid as security personnel. Now it is unknown whether more than half of those officers will show up at the team’s next game on Sept. 12.
“I’m already hearing it this week that next week on Monday Night Football, some officers are not going to work,” said Frank Saunders, president of the Santa Clara Police Officers Association…
“The 49ers are allowing this to come out from an employee and it’s making for a hostile work environment for us at the stadium,” Saunders said.
The letter adds that the union has a duty to protect its members and keep “their workings environments free of harassing behavior.”
https://twitter.com/WesleyLowery/status/771891734565494785
The 49ers have released a statment claiming they recognize the rights of Kaepernick to sit for the anthem, but the Santa Clara police union wants to see the team treat the quarterback like an employee according to NBC news:
“It was a totality of all those circumstances that we felt, ‘Let’s go talk to the 49ers. Let’s have them go deal with” Kaepernick, he said.
The Monday Night Football game will kick off the season for the team on September 12th, so will see soon enough if the team will opt to deal with Kaepernick or deal with a possible police boycott. Hiring other police to work security may go aganst the city’s contract with the police union according to NBC.
(Via NBC News)