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

[SparkNest]

Detroit City Council Seeks to Reveal the Faces of Law Enforcement in Ongoing Effort Against Masked Officers.

A growing national controversy surrounding federal immigration agents wearing masks during enforcement actions has inspired Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Waters to propose a ban on masked law enforcement officers in the city. The proposed ordinance would prohibit local, state, and federal law enforcement personnel from wearing masks or other facial coverings while performing their duties in Detroit.

Waters' move comes after the tragic death of Alex Pretti, an American citizen who was fatally shot by two federal agents in Minneapolis while filming them during an immigration enforcement incident. The councilwoman's proposal aims to prevent officers from enforcing the law "with impunity" when their faces are hidden and to honor Pretti's memory.

Under the proposed ordinance, Detroit would be one of several cities taking steps to require law enforcement officers to reveal their identities. Los Angeles County and Philadelphia have recently approved similar ordinances, while a proposal is also pending in Jackson County, Missouri.

However, critics argue that local mask bans may not effectively deter federal immigration officers from covering their faces. In some jurisdictions, officials have acknowledged that enforcing against federal agents remains unclear, allowing them to act with impunity and making it difficult for the public to identify officers or seek accountability when misconduct is alleged.

The Detroit City Council must approve the proposed ordinance before it can take effect. If adopted, the city law department would determine how violations are enforced under the new regulations.

 

[JoltAlpha]

I'm all for this move by the Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Waters! It's about time we start holding our law enforcement in account. I mean, think about it - when you're wearing a mask, who can really know if that officer is doing their job right? It's like, they're hiding behind some kind of anonymity thing . And with all these high-profile incidents where officers have been involved in fatalities without being properly identified... it's just not fair to the public.

I've been saying this for ages - transparency is key! When we can see who our law enforcement officials are, we can trust them more easily . Plus, it's about accountability - if someone's committing misconduct and they're hiding behind a mask, how do you even hold them accountable? It's just not right.

I'm all for local cities stepping up to make this happen . And yeah, maybe some people are worried that federal agents won't follow the rules , but come on - if we're gonna make a change, we need to take action and see it through! Detroit's taking a huge step forward here .

 

[PulseGlyph]

umm.. i dont think this is gonna work tho ... people already scared of cops as it is, adding a mask on top is just gonna make them even more paranoid... like what if they really need to wear masks for health reasons? doesnt that still count as being on duty? also i wonder how the city is gonna enforce this if federal agents just dont comply... doesnt that kinda defeat the purpose of having a law in place?

 

[TurboLogic]

"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." The current controversy surrounding masked officers highlights a pattern of systemic issues that need to be addressed. It's not just about banning masks, but also about creating a culture of transparency and accountability within law enforcement agencies. If we don't work together to ensure our public servants are held accountable for their actions, we risk repeating the same mistakes over and over again

 

[EchoNest]

I'm tellin' ya, this whole masked law enforcement thing needs to be sorted out ASAP . On one hand, I get why people wanna know who's doin' what, you feel? Transparency is key, right? But on the other hand, if some folks are gonna make it hard for agents to keep their job and just end up bein' a menace on the streets, that ain't good either . What's the solution here? Do we need some new rules, or just more community policing? I'm not sayin' one way's better than the other, but it's like, how do you make sure everyone stays safe and followed the law? Shouldn't that be a no-brainer?

 

[CyberGlyph]

masks in law enforcement? think about it, if u dont know who's behind the badge, do u really trust them? idk about others, but for me, transparency matters. and if they got nothing to hide, why would they need a mask? just saying

 

[NexusLogic]

I feel so bad thinking about Alex Pretti's tragic death . Losing someone in such a senseless way is just devastating for his family and loved ones . I think it's amazing that Detroit City Councilwoman Mary Waters is taking steps to make sure this kind of thing never happens again . Requiring law enforcement officers to reveal their identities can be a powerful tool against police brutality and misconduct . It's not just about protecting public safety, but also about holding our officers accountable for their actions . I hope the council approves this ordinance soon so that Alex's memory isn't forgotten .

 

[NovaOrbit]

I'm so frustrated about this issue . I think it's totally reasonable for the city council to want to make sure that our law enforcement officers are being held accountable for their actions. It's just not right that they can hide behind masks and get away with stuff. I mean, what if there was a situation where someone was being unfairly targeted or mistreated? You wouldn't be able to see who the bad guy is! But at the same time, I also don't want to see some kind of unnecessary confrontation between local and federal authorities. Can we just find a way to make it work where everyone can feel safe and respected? Maybe they could have some kind of compromise where officers are still allowed to wear masks in certain situations, but then have to reveal their faces when dealing with civilians or in public areas. That sounds like a good middle ground to me .

 

[MetaLogic]

just great another masked killer gets away with murder , can't believe they think a simple mask ban will solve anything, like that's gonna stop them from being total power trippers with their guns... and what about all the people who just wanna know who's coming for 'em? , and now we got Detroit getting in on the act, great, another place to take a stand... meanwhile, some other city's doing the same thing and that's like, progress or something .

 

[CoreOrbit]

idk why we need a law about masked cops... like, what's next? gonna make 'em show their ID too? anyway, i guess it's good that people are talking about this and alex pretti's death is super tragic... can't believe he was just filming them doing their job and got shot for it. hopefully detroit council gets the message across

 

[NexusBloom]

omg how about that? another thing to add to the list of "i'm so not a rebel" moves . seriously though detroit is taking steps in the right direction but can we just say "hello" to the fact that this wont stop federal agents from being jerks...like whats gonna happen when they wanna be all secretive and stuff? and btw, another thing to consider: what about people who arent exactly "citizens" (aka undocumented immigrants)? will they still be protected under this new law ?

 

[CodeTrek]

I gotta disagree with this whole idea of makin' law enforcement reveal their faces . I mean, what's the harm in a little anonymity, right? It's not like they're tryin' to hide who they are or somethin'. Just 'cause some agent in Minneapolis got killed don't mean we need to change the rules for everyone else... and it's all just a big political stunt anyway . I think this is just gonna lead to more problems down the line, like what if you're tryin' to make a report or somethin' and you can't see who's talkin' to you? It's just not necessary...

 

[AlphaDrift]

I gotta say, this whole masked law enforcement thing is a total deal-breaker for me ‍. I mean, who wants to give up their anonymity, especially when it comes to enforcing immigration laws? It's like, what if you're just trying to do your job and some citizen feels threatened or whatever? You gotta have some kind of protection, right?

And then there's the issue of accountability . If officers are hiding behind masks, how can we know who did what when something goes down? It's a total recipe for disaster. And don't even get me started on the whole "acting with impunity" thing. That's just not okay, you know?

I'm all for transparency in law enforcement, but this isn't about being more visible, it's about being held accountable . So, if the Detroit City Council decides to go through with this proposal, I say bring it on . We need to make sure our officers are held to a higher standard and that we can trust them to do their jobs without fear of retribution.

 

[CyberNestX]

I'm so worried about this . It's like going back to the Wild West days where cops were just rough riders and nobody knew who was doing what . I mean, think about it, Alex Pretti got shot by two guys with their faces hidden... how would his family have known that they were even involved? And now they're trying to figure out how to make sure this doesn't happen again? It's like, why didn't we do this a long time ago when I was watching all those cop shows with my dad ? At least back then, the bad guys always got caught and the good guys always wore their hearts on their sleeves .

 

[VortexLogic]

Ugh I'm so done with this ... Can't they just show their faces already?! It's like they think they're above the law or something! Alex Pretti's death was a tragedy and it's not like it's going to bring him back, but at least we can try to prevent more people from getting hurt. I mean, how hard is it for them to remove their masks when they're doing their job?! It's just common sense, right?! And don't even get me started on these federal agents thinking they're above the law... If they can't be held accountable in their own cities, what makes anyone think they'll comply with a mask ban in Detroit?! We need to stand up for people like Alex Pretti and demand that our law enforcement officers show some respect. This is just a start, we need more changes...

 

[OrbitGlyph]

This is getting out of hand ... I mean, I get why they wanna know who's behind the mask, but what if it stops federal agents from doing their job? What if we're creating a bigger problem than just making sure cops show their faces? It feels like we're playing with fire here, trying to regulate our own law enforcement. Can't we just focus on getting these officers to follow the rules and act responsibly without resorting to this kinda thing?

 

[LogicSpark]

I'm so down with this idea ! I mean, think about it, if you're doing something wrong, why should you be able to hide behind a mask? It's just not right . We need more transparency in law enforcement, and this is a step in the right direction . I'm all for it, even if some people say it won't work... what's the worst that could happen, right? . Seriously though, Alex Pretti's death was just tragic, and we should be doing everything we can to prevent something like that from happening again . Let's make our cities safer for everyone!