49ers to partner with law enforcement unions in community building, advocacy

The San Francisco 49ers are holding a press conference Thursday morning in which they will join with major police unions to sign a “Pledge for a More Understanding and Safer America.” The event takes place at 11:45 a.m., and the 49ers are contributing $500,000 to the campaign.

The pledge is combining more work in improving police and community relationships and legislative advocacy for things lock a bump stock ban, as well as bans on armor-piercing bullets and gun silencers. There had been talk about a bump stock ban following yet another mass shooting, this time in Las Vegas. However, as has become the standard operating procedure, all discussion of that appears to have stopped as people move on and stop thinking about the last mass shooting. We’ll see what actually comes of this advocacy.

Here’s the 49ers full press release.

The San Francisco 49ers, San Jose Police Officers’ Association, the Los Angeles Police Protective League and other major law enforcement unions from across the country will come together to sign a “Pledge for a More Understanding and Safer America.”

In the wake of the mass shooting in Las Vegas and the need for law enforcement and the communities they protect to have interactions grounded in mutual respect, all parties are pledging to advocate for common sense legislation to ban “bump stocks” and any other mechanism that allows for the conversion of a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic weapon; armor-piercing bullets; and gun silencers. Additionally, the parties are pledging to lead an initiative to partner with professional sports franchises, businesses and faith-based and community leaders to create a public awareness campaign designed to improve police and community relationships.

The 49ers organization, which has pledged $500,000 toward the campaign, will invite other NFL franchises to sign the pledge and signing police unions will work to secure the support of other unions across the country. Currently, the Sergeants Benevolence Association of the NYPD has agreed to sign the pledge, as well as unions representing law enforcement officers from Portland, Santa Clara County, Sacramento, Long Beach and Oakland.