Las Vegas police battle over NFL’s new facial-recognition process intensifies

It started with a union official venting to TMZ. It has culminated in a bipartisan objection, memorialized in an Associated Press story.

The NFL has a new credentialing process that, for certain areas of a stadium, requires facial recognition. The Las Vegas Police Protective Association opposes the changes. The Las Vegas Police Department supports the union.

The biggest sticking point has been the use of photos for facial recognition. The union said Thursday on social media that the league also wants other personal information regarding police officers, including fingerprints, home addresses, and phone numbers.

“We recognize the importance of our public safety partners and appreciate their efforts to ensure a safe game day environment,” the league said in a statement issued to the AP. “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.”

The league insists that the photos won’t be used for any other purpose.

The NFL’s obvious goal is to ensure that someone who might create chaos doesn’t slip through the cracks and masquerade as a police officer or someone else in a position of significant trust. If, however, the league wants too much information from police officers who would be working games, the league might end up having to employ its own local security detail for each and every stadium.

Frankly, if the league is looking for that kind of control over the security personnel at its stadiums, maybe that’s what the league should do. Hire (and fully vet) its own private police force for the 10 games to be played at most stadiums — and 20 at a couple of others.