The NFL has passed a new rule that bans off-duty law enforcement officers from bringing guns into stadiums, but Texas has decided to enact the policy in its own unique way. While the NFL memo states “off-duty officers who attempt to bring firearms into an NFL facility will be denied entry," KTXA-TV reports Texas state law allows off-duty officers to carry so long as they check in at designated gates and let stadium officials know where they are sitting.
“Just looking at this new NFL rule that off-duty police officers can't carry guns into any NFL game. And I don't even begin to understand that one. I'm sorry,” Glenn said on radio this morning. “How does that work again? They're off-duty, they're carrying a gun. Texas just said, ‘We don't think that applies to us. So you go ahead and do that in all your, you know, crazy liberal gun states. This is Texas.’”
Ron Pinkston of the Dallas Police Association told KTXA that the Texas law is “sensible.”
“Our officers are 24/7, on or off duty, and if they run into a critical incident – they are required to take action,” Pinkston said. “Our officers will be allowed to carry their weapon into AT&T Stadium and other football stadiums in the State of Texas due to Texas law.”
Off-duty police officers in Texas are known to carry their firearms at all times because their oath requires them to “protect and serve the public.”
Glenn still failed to understand the prudence of publically acknowledging a certain area is essentially gun free. Though the NFL believes its stadiums already provide adequate security and, therefore, armed off-duty police officers are unnecessary.
“I don't understand,” Glenn said. “Really, it is like, ‘Hey, come and shoot a bunch of people here because nobody has any guns.’”
“Wasn't there just a study that actually all of these mass shootings have been done in no-gun zones? It's like 95 or 99 or 100% of them,” Pat asked. ‘There's a reason people don't attack police stations.”