Officers threaten to boycott 49er games, chief vows safety

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The Santa Clara police chief vowed Saturday to continue providing a safe environment at San Francisco home games after the union representing his officers threatened to boycott policing the stadium if the 49ers don’t discipline Colin Kaepernick for criticizing police and refusing to stand during the national anthem.

Chief Michael Sellers said in a statement that he will urge union leadership to put citizens’ safety first.

Kaepernick’s “blanket statements disparaging the law enforcement profession are hurtful and do not help bring the country together,” Sellers said. “As distasteful as his actions are, these actions are protected by the Constitution. Police officers are here to protect the rights of every person, even if we disagree with their position.”

In a letter sent to the 49ers, the police union complaining that Kaepernick’s “inappropriate behaviour” has “threatened our harmonious working relationship.”
“The board of directors of the Santa Clara Police Officer’s Association has a duty to protect its members and work to make all of their working environments free of harassing behaviour,” the letter reads.

It was the latest in the flurry of heated responses both negative and positive that Kaepernick has gotten since his silent protest became the talk of the NFL and much of the nation last week.

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