Tampa Cops declining to work Beyonce show

[Joe Fan]

http://www.fox13news.com/news/local-news/93352985-story

"Beyonce has taken a lot of heat for her new song “Formation,” which critics claim has an anti-cop message. Some Tampa Police officers might agree, if the request to work her upcoming Tampa concert is any indication. No one has agreed to do it.

Typically, officers who are off-duty agree to work concerts and sporting events at the venue for extra income, but none have signed up to work security for Beyonce’s upcoming concert on April 29 at Raymond James Stadium.

The concert is expected to be a sold-out show, so not staffing the event with uniformed officers would be a security risk...."

 

[zork]

She's finding a new way to walk since her younger days. I assume it is related to her husband's wishes perhaps? Or is this just marketing(no good or bad in marketing)?

 

[texas_ex2000]

I'll always be a fan. She's an incredible talent. But I do miss the Houston/Destiny's Child Beyoncé.

 

[UTChE96]

Ok, I just read the lyrics to "Formation" and I have no idea how that song has anything to do with the cops. Perhaps this is related to the Super Bowl halftime performance where she dressed up like a fool pretending to be a black panther. Racist? Yes. Anti-cop? Not really.

 

[Mr. Deez]

I'm proud to say that I don't know a single Beyonce song. I pretty much have no use for pop singers or those who put out "bootie-shakin'" music.

 

[Clean]

good for the Tampa cops. Hope they hold the line

 

[Phil Elliott]

I'm proud to say that I don't know a single Beyonce song. I pretty much have no use for pop singers or those who put out "bootie-shakin'" music.

I am worried a bit that Mr. Deez and I keep finding common ground.

It's old, twangy, country music for me. All day, every day.

 

[Joe Fan]

The local Police Union has formerly come out to ask for a boycott --

" ..... Fraternal Order of Police President Javier Ortiz said in a statement that he believes her Super Bowl performance divided "Americans by promoting the Black Panthers and her anti-police message shows how she does not support law enforcement." At the Super Bowl, Beyoncé's dancers sported items associated with the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, including afros, berets and black leather. It also marked the 50th anniversary of the group.

While Ortiz stated he did not watch the halftime show "out of respect for our profession," he did view Beyoncé's "Formation" video and took issue with the scene where police appear in riot gear with their hands up while a boy dances in front of them in a hoodie. The clip references the Black Lives Matter movement's "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" mantra that followed the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO. "'Hands up, don't shoot' was built on a lie," Ortiz wrote."

Apologies for linking a source so lacking in credibility http://www.rollingstone.com/music/n...ident-calls-for-beyonce-show-boycott-20160218

 

[texas_ex2000]

Ok, so it's a Bee Gees cover, but still...it's a great cover.

 

[NJlonghorn]

good for the Tampa cops. Hope they hold the line

If the officers felt that working the concert would be unusually unsafe, I'd understand. But that isn't the case. Instead, they are using their peace-keeping authority to retaliate against someone based on her political speech. That doesn't sit right with me.

If I were an officer, I would take a content-neutral approach to event signup. Working an event does not imply support for the event; it implies a desire for the event to be safe.

Plus, there is already a rift between the police and the black community. Refusing to work a Beyoncé concert is likely to make the rift worse.

I held off on posting my thoughts until I had a chance to speak with my friend who is a police officer. He pretty much agreed with me. In fact, he said that he has twice worked private security for skinhead events.

 

[VYFan]

It's off-duty voluntary work, right?
It's not a boycott that they will not do police work.

Funny that the first amendment free speech card got played on the wrong side of the argument.

 

[Mr. Deez]

I am worried a bit that Mr. Deez and I keep finding common ground.

It's old, twangy, country music for me. All day, every day.

We at least agree on what we don't like. However, I don't know much country. David Allan Coe is probably the country artist whose music I'm most familiar with, and I only know his stuff because a good friend of mine was a big fan and listened to him a lot. Ironically, that friend is very gay - not exactly the stereotypical Coe fan.

As for me, I like classic rock and late '80s and early '90s alternative music, which is what was big when I was in high school.

 

[NJlonghorn]

It's off-duty voluntary work, right?
It's not a boycott that they will not do police work.

Funny that the first amendment free speech card got played on the wrong side of the argument.

This has nothing to do with the First Amendment, which only applies when the government seeks to restrict speech. I agree that the government should not be able to compel officers to sign up for any particular voluntary assignment.

A different issue, and the one I raised, is what I personally think officers should do. I would guess that most posters on this board disagree with me.

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

As I see it, if this is an organized effort by the police union "encouraging" members not to work the show, then I have a problem with it.

If it is simply a bunch of individual cops independently deciding "thanks, but no thanks", then I am perfectly fine with it.

 

[NJlonghorn]

As I see it, if this is an organized effort by the police union "encouraging" members not to work the show, then I have a problem with it. If it is simply a bunch of individual cops independently deciding "thanks, but no thanks", then I am perfectly fine with it.

Initial reports were that the Tampa police union, as well as some others, were urging members not to sign up for security duty:

Police unions in Nashville, Tampa and Miami are urging officers not to volunteer to work security at pop star Beyonce's upcoming concerts in those cities, because of what they say was an anti-police message when she performed at the Super Bowl.

The Tampa police union has issued a statement (I lost the link, sorry) clarifying that it is calling for a boycott on ticket purchases, which I think is great, but is not calling on members to refuse to sign up. In fact, they are assuring the public that officers will be there to police the event:

“We urge all law enforcement officers to boycott the purchase of Beyoncé’s music and the purchase of tickets for her performances,” Tampa Police Benevolent Association president Vinny Gercitano posted on Facebook.

“However, we are confident that on April 29th Tampa Police officers will police Beyoncé’s concert with courtesy, professionalism and respect as they do daily for the citizens of Tampa.”

If that is accurate, this is much ado about nothing.