A leading police advocacy organization has petitioned the NFL to lift its current ban on concealed weapons, citing security concerns and the threat of terrorism.
The National Fraternal Order of Police, in a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, said that the ban is overly oppressive and prevents off duty officers attending football games from protecting those in attendance should an unforeseen threat emerge.
Chuck Canterbury, the national order’s president, urged Goodell to "rescind this policy which weakens the safety and security of NFL players, personnel and fans," according to the letter. "The terrorist attacks and threats of attacks from organizations like the [Islamic State] are selecting targets based on the amount of death and injury they can inflict—mass murder and casualty events."
"Well-attended venues and areas are being deliberately targeted by the radical killers who do not intend or expect to survive the assault," Canterbury wrote. "Law enforcement, even when working actively with highly trained and skilled security professionals, cannot be certain that all threats will be detected and neutralized."
The Fraternal Order’s Ohio branch also petitioned the state’s two NFL teams to reverse the ban, according to reports.
"The Ohio FOP has reached out to the owners of the Bengals and the Browns to try and get them to rescind this policy that acts contrary to common sense," Jay McDonald, president of the order’s Ohio affiliate said. "Law enforcement officers should be able to help defend themselves and the lives of their fellow citizens in large scale events like an NFL game."