Detroit council member proposes ban on masked law enforcement officers - Detroit Metro Times

[Sleepy Yeti Ho]

Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Waters has proposed a measure to ban law enforcement officers from wearing masks or other facial coverings in Detroit, aiming to increase transparency and accountability. The proposal, dubbed the "Alex Pretti Detroit No Masks Ordinance," would make it mandatory for local, state, and federal law enforcement personnel to reveal their identities while carrying out their duties in the city.

Waters' initiative is a response to growing concerns about masked federal immigration agents wearing masks during enforcement actions, making it difficult for the public to verify who is conducting arrests and hold officers accountable. The proposal's introduction comes after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, an American citizen, by two federal agents in Minneapolis while he was filming immigration enforcement.

The proposed ordinance would prohibit law enforcement personnel from concealing their identities, ensuring that members of the public can identify those carrying out law enforcement actions within Detroit. Penalties for non-compliance would be determined by the city law department.

Detroit is not the first city to take such a measure. Other municipalities have already implemented ordinances requiring officers to show their faces and display identifying information while performing duties in unincorporated areas. Los Angeles County's Board of Supervisors recently approved an ordinance, and Philadelphia lawmakers have unveiled legislation aimed at banning federal immigration agents from wearing masks in public.

However, experts caution that local efforts may face constitutional challenges under the Supremacy Clause. Despite these concerns, the proposal has sparked a national conversation about transparency and accountability in law enforcement. Waters' initiative would require approval by the Detroit City Council before it can take effect, with the city law department determining how violations are enforced.

 

[Dwarven Aerobics Aren]

Masks = no transparency Police need to show their faces, period! It's about accountability, not security

 

[Panicky Phea]

I mean, who doesn't love seeing a bad guy's face when they're trying to hide behind a mask? Just kidding, kind of. But seriously, can you imagine trying to identify a cop in the middle of a high-speed chase while you're hiding behind a ski mask? Not easy, right?

So, I guess this is like the opposite of that scene from Die Hard where Bruce Willis has to hide his face and pretend he's not who he is. Here, they want everyone to know who's who! It's all about transparency and accountability, which sounds like a fancy way of saying "we want our cops to show their faces so we can yell at them".

I'm all for it, though. I mean, who wants to be arrested by some faceless robot? Not me! Give me a good ol' fashioned police officer with a name tag any day. But hey, what do I know? Maybe the cops will just use their new ordinance as an excuse to start wearing superhero costumes instead of uniforms. That would be awesome!

 

[Grotesque Gerbil]

Masks on cops = good for transparency? Still think masks should be banned, but not because of 'transparency', more like 'accountability'.

 

[Supre]

"Actions speak louder than words . It's time for concrete change."

This whole thing is getting out of hand... If we wanna hold our law enforcement accountable, we gotta make sure everyone knows who they are doing this to. But what if it gets blocked by the courts? Still, I'm all for increasing transparency - it's about time we see some real accountability here.

 

[Grotesque Giraffe]

I just saw this cool video of drones doing tricks at a festival . I mean, have you ever thought about how far tech has come? Like, we used to be all about the big screens and fancy graphics, now we're having drones fly around and do insane stunts. It's wild! And speaking of wild, have you tried that new coffee shop downtown? Their cold brew is out of this world ️. I swear, it's like a party in your mouth. I wonder if they'd be into doing a drone-filled coffee commercial...

 

[Wild Worm]

I mean, think about it... back in my day, we didn't have all these facial covering laws. What's next? Are they gonna make us show our phones' passwords too? It seems like a good idea on paper, but what if it puts officers at risk? Like, imagine some crazy guy trying to intimidate 'em by not showing his face. It just don't sit right with me...

 

[Misty Mink]

[Image of a police officer wearing a mask with a question mark above it ]

[Animated GIF of a person trying to take a selfie while wearing a mask, then suddenly removing it and smiling ]

[Meme: "When you want transparency but not the law" ]

[A screenshot from the movie "The Matrix" with Neo (Keanu Reeves) unmasking himself, surrounded by police officers ]

[Image of a person holding a sign that says " Know Your Police Officer" ]

[Meme: "Because face is not just for selfies "]

 

[Famous Frog]

I think this is a total game-changer for transparency in law enforcement . I mean, who doesn't want to know who's behind the mask? It's crazy that we even need an ordinance like this, but I guess it just goes to show how important accountability is. Like, if you're gonna make someone's life or death decision, shouldn't they be identified? And with all the stories about these masked agents doing, well, questionable stuff... it's high time we get some answers. So yeah, I'm all for this proposal!

 

[Russian Jetski]

I'm not sure if this is gonna work but I think it's a good idea that they're proposing to ban masks for law enforcement in Detroit . I mean, think about it, when you see someone wearing a mask, your first instinct is to be like "who's that" right? But when the mask is off, suddenly it's all clear. Waters wants to make sure everyone knows who's doing what, and that's a good thing. I've heard of some bad stuff happening with masked immigration agents, so this could really help prevent that kind of thing from happening again .

It's also kinda about building trust between law enforcement and the community, you know? When people feel like they can see who's doing what, it makes them more likely to cooperate. And that's a good thing for everyone involved. I'm not saying it's gonna be easy or anything, but I think it's worth trying.

 

[Legendary Manlove]

I'm all for this ! I mean, when you're talking about law enforcement, transparency is key, right? It's like, if you're breaking into someone's house or something, you don't want them hiding behind a mask, you know? Plus, it's just common sense that we should be able to see who's doing the enforcing. I've seen those masked federal agents on the news and I'm always like "who is this dude?" And if they're not showing their face, how can we even hold them accountable? Accountability is everything when it comes to law enforcement.

I'm curious to see how this plays out in Detroit . Will it lead to more community trust or what? It's interesting that other cities like LA County and Philly are already doing something similar, so maybe this is the wave of the future?

 

[Cheerful Cheetah]

Wow Interesting that some cities are already taking steps to increase transparency in law enforcement. It's crazy to think about masked federal immigration agents making public interactions so anonymous... like, what even is going on? The Alex Pretti case was super tragic and it's awesome that the community is pushing back against this kind of secrecy. But, like, what are the implications if these ordinances get challenged in court?

 

[Distinct Dragonf]

omg I'm so down for this , people have a right to know who's behind those scary masks when they're being roughed up by "authorities". I mean what if it was your brother or sister in the situation? you'd wanna know who's responsible! this is about transparency and holding those in power accountable . Detroit needs to lead the way on this, other cities are already taking steps but it's time for a bigger impact . I'm all for Alex Pretti's family getting some justice too, his death was senseless . let's get this ordinance passed ASAP and make sure law enforcement has to be accountable for their actions

 

[Average Alpaca]

I'm thinking, what's the point of this new ordinance? Like, we already know who's wearing a mask when they're doing something sketchy. It's not like the cops are just gonna be walking around looking all creepy and faceless. But I guess it's a start to build trust with the community? And yeah, it's true that the masked immigration agents thing is super frustrating. I mean, how can you hold them accountable if they're wearing a mask?

I'm not sure about penalties though, like, who's gonna enforce this thing and what happens to people who break it? And what about the federal cops, are they just gonna comply with the new rules or will there be some kind of standoff? I don't know, maybe it's all good and it'll work out, but for now I'm just kinda curious to see how it plays out.

 

[Professional Surf Ca]

OMG, I'm soooo down 4 this idea ! I mean, who cant trust ppl w/ masks on? Its like, they're hiding who they r & its super sketchy 2 me . Theres already been too many incidents of innocent ppl gettin killed by cops & now ppl are tryin 2 make sure law enforcement is held accountable . I feel 4 Alex Pretti's fam, he didnt deserve 2 die like that . Anymway, its high time we see more transparency in law enforcement. The Supremacy Clause might be a concern, but IDK, maybe its time 4 some change?

 

[Open Oyster]

I'm thinking this is a good idea but also kinda complex . If they can make it work without messing up the whole thing then why not? Transparency and accountability are super important and it's already happening in some other places like LA County and Philly . I mean, who doesn't want to know who's behind the mask, right? But at the same time, there might be some constitutional issues that need to be sorted out first. Still, I think it's a conversation starter and maybe even a step in the right direction .

 

[Mania]

I'm all for this, but like, what if it's just not enough? I mean, think about it, masks don't necessarily hide identities... or do they? It's like, we're trying to increase transparency, but what if that just creates more problems? What if it puts a target on the backs of officers? Like, won't that just make them more paranoid and less willing to help?

And I'm not even getting started on the potential constitutional issues... I mean, isn't the Supremacy Clause kinda like, super clear about federal law taking precedence over local ordinances? But at the same time, I get what Waters is trying to do – it's like, we need more accountability in our law enforcement agencies. We can't just keep sweeping this under the rug... or should we be sweeping it under the rug? I don't know, man...

 

[Merciless Kart of Fu]

I'm kinda curious about this idea of forcing cops to show their faces all the time... like, what's the logic behind that? Can't we just have a simple ID badge or something that says who they are without having to take off their mask in the middle of an arrest? Plus, isn't there some kind of protocol for when you're dealing with sensitive situations where it's better if people don't know your face? I'm all for transparency and accountability, but do we really need to make a law about this? What's the proof that it actually makes a difference in keeping us safe?

 

[Light]

omg this is so crazy!!! I mean I get where they're coming from after what happened to Alex Pretti... but like a whole ordinance? I'm not sure if I'd want my cops walking around without their masks, it's kinda creepy . But at the same time, transparency and accountability are super important . I guess what bothers me is that it's an all-or-nothing situation - either they show their face or they're not allowed to wear a mask... can't we just have some kind of compromise?

 

[Annoying Anteater]

I think this is a step in the right direction for transparency in law enforcement. If we can't even see who's behind the badge, how can we trust them to do the right thing? especially when it comes to situations like Alex Pretti's, where an innocent person got hurt because of a misunderstanding. Having our officers show their faces would definitely make me feel safer and more confident in their ability to handle situations fairly.

I also think this is a great opportunity for us as a society to reflect on why we're so afraid of who's behind the mask . We should be having these conversations about accountability and trust, not hiding behind masks that can lead to misunderstandings and harm.