Bills Mafia to face tough D guarding stadium under extension of state law
The law extends an exemption to avoid a shortage of available bodies to handle the potentially raucous legions of close to 70,000 fans starting when the Bills open at Highmark Stadium against the Arizona Cardinals.
With opening day less than a week away, Bills Mafia is ready.
Thanks to a bill Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law last month, so is the Bills security force.
Bills fans wait to pass through security before entering the Blue & Red practice at Highmark Stadium on Aug. 2. Harry Scull Jr./Buffalo News
The law extends an exemption to avoid a shortage of available bodies to handle the potentially raucous legions of close to 70,000 fans starting when the Bills open at Highmark Stadium against the Arizona Cardinals.
The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Sean Ryan and Assembly Member Patrick Burke, both Buffalo Democrats, has enabled the Bills to hire security guards without having the workers be required to hold licenses under the state’s 1992 Security Guard Act. That law required all security guards to complete three courses – with armed guards required to complete two additional ones – to be certified.
The Ryan-Burke bill, first enacted in 2021 under the Senate sponsorship of now-Rep. Tim Kennedy, D-Buffalo, allowed the Bills to hire unlicensed guards as often as up to 15 times a year − as long as at least 50% of the overall security force working is licensed under requirements of the 1992 law.
The extension of the bill passed the Assembly by a vote of 145-0 on May 28. It passed the Senate two days later (a vote tally was not available). On July 3, Hochul signed the legislation to extend the exemption another three years.
“Fully staffing games became a challenge for the Bills during Covid and continued to be a problem after the pandemic,” Burke told The Buffalo News on Friday. “Having adequate staffing of licensed and nonlicensed security guards was far better than leaving the stadium understaffed during games.”
The Bills have said the licensed security staff typically includes managers, supervisors and guards working on the field, as well as special access areas. While the Erie County Sheriff’s Office handles any arrests, the Bills security deals with fan behavior.
Sen. Patrick Gallivan, R-Elma, a co-sponsor of the bill and the Erie County sheriff from 1998 to 2005, said crowds at Highmark Stadium are not nearly as rowdy as they once were. He said security on game days involves hundreds of guards and well over 100 law enforcement officers. He said because the Security Guard Act requires guards to pay fees and be fingerprinted, many would-be guards may feel it is not worth the time for just eight home games or so a season.
Gallivan said the nonlicensed security guards, who receive a degree of training and assistance from police and supervisors, are typically placed outside the stadium to handle tasks such as wand incoming fans and to check their bags at stadium entrances. The same guards also previously checked to ensure incoming fans were vaccinated, he said.
“They’re doing an important function that contributes to security, but you wouldn’t think that they’re doing security in the sense of the word that you’d think you’d have to go for extensive training and licensing for,” Gallivan said. “This exemption has worked very well for the Bills and has really contributed to the overall safety and more of a family atmosphere inside.”