Officials from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the police union have expressed their concerns about the NFL’s new access rules for certain areas of Allegiant Stadium.
The union has even advised officers to avoid working at Raiders home games after this weekend if the policy remains unchanged.
This season, the NFL is using facial-recognition technology for credentialed individuals at games, including players, media, and vendors. The Las Vegas Police Protective Association, supported by the department, is worried that this technology could infringe on officers’ privacy.
The police have requested that officers be allowed to wear wristbands, as they did in past seasons. They will use wristbands for the upcoming preseason game between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night.
“We want to see what they propose as changes,” said union president Steve Grammas. “Privacy is a major concern—about how our personal information might be shared with vendors and teams.”
The union also mentioned on social media that the NFL is seeking additional personal details like fingerprints, home addresses, and phone numbers.
The NFL explained that the new policy, which was trialed in six stadiums last season, uses access photos solely to confirm identities and not for any other purposes.
“We value our public safety partners and appreciate their role in maintaining a safe game day,” the NFL said in a statement.
“We have had constructive discussions with the LVPPA and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department regarding our updated, secure credentialing system for all staff. This system is designed to improve security at our stadiums, and we are committed to addressing any concerns that arise.”
