Recently, the National Sheriffs Association excoriated the NFL for providing massive funding to groups that openly advocate defunding the police, as well as the abolition of other elements of the judicial system, including prisons.
The association, which is a police advocacy group, levied extremely harsh criticism at the league after a Fox News digital investigation revealed that numerous “Inspire Change” partners, who receive funding from the NFL, are openly in favor of abolishing or defunding law enforcement departments.
“I hope the NFL got its [return on investment],” National Sheriffs Association CEO Jonathan Thompson said coolly in an email to Fox News, noting that the “return” includes outcomes such as “more community anger” and “more crime.”
“Well done to the NFL,” Thompson continued, “hopefully all [the law enforcement officers] that protect their facilities and audiences feel better … especially since [the league] is funding organizations [aiming] to completely dissolve … [the] principle of adherence to the rule of law.”
Thompson suggested that the NFL could opt to spend a single night in a jail or a police cruiser in order to obtain firsthand exposure to “runaway crime.”
The CEO suggested that the NFL could also consider the fact that a broad range of demographics, including “poor,” “rich,” “black,” “white,” “kids,” and “elderly” fall victim to crime.
The organizations that the NFL has decided to fund include the Community Justice Exchange, the Oregon Justice Resource Center, and the Vera Institute of Justice, all of which openly advocate either abolishing or defunding the police, as revealed by their own public statements.
The football league refuses to answer specific questions from Fox News Digital, offering only a vague defense of its “Inspire Change” program.
“[The NFL’s] partners have been selected based on the critical work that they have done,” an NFL spokesperson sniffed.
“We stand by the work our grant partners have done,” the spokesperson continued, adding that these partners have had a “lasting” impact on communities nationwide.
