Alameda County Sheriff's Office invites Colin Kaepernick to attend police academy

Byby Melanie Woodrow KGO logo

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

Alameda Co. Sheriff's Office invites Kaepernick to attend police academy

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is getting a special invitation in reaction to his decision to stay seated during the nation anthem at games.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is getting a special invitation in reaction to his decision to stay seated during the nation anthem at games.

In a Facebook post on Monday, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office invited Kaepernick to attend its police academy after Kaepernick said it takes longer to become a cosmetologist than a police officer.

"It would be a great opportunity for him to come out and view exactly what we do," Sgt. JD Nelson said.

The sheriff's office extended the invitation to its basic police academy after Kaepernick said, "I mean, someone that's holding a curling iron has more education and more training than people that have a gun and are going out on the street to protect us."

"The percentages that we hold them to pass all their tests, the physical training, the background check to get in there to begin with -- I think he'd be impressed," Nelson said.

The San Francisco Police Officer's Association took a different approach. The union sent a letter to the president of the 49ers and the NFL commissioner, saying, "We will not stand by while he attacks police officers in this country with statements such as, 'People are on paid leave while people of color are killed.'"

The San Francisco Police Commission's president said there's lots of work beign done to create equity, safety and justice locally. "More folks who want to be about creating safe and just communities. I welcome it, so let's all get in the game," Suzy Loftus said.

"Are you going to be a person that actually goes out and does something about it or are you going to be the proverbial Monday morning quarterback and criticize and do nothing about it?" asked Nelson.

So far, Kaepernick has not responded to the invitation.

FULL INTERVIEW: 49ers QB Kaepernick responds to national anthem controversy