Bill would restrict public safety officials from concealing identity

LANSING, Mich., July 25, 2025 — State Rep. Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City) held a press conference yesterday alongside state Reps. Noah Arbit (D-West Bloomfield), Carrie Rheingans (D-Ann Arbor), Donavan McKinney (D-Detroit) and Erin Byrnes (D-Dearborn) to unveil legislation banning on-duty police officers from wearing face masks except in certain circumstances.

“Those who protect and serve our community should not do so behind a concealed identity. When oversight is absent, trust erodes — and with it, accountability and transparency in public safety. In recent months, we’ve heard alarming reports of masked individuals arriving in unmarked cars, jumping out with rifles to detain people. To the average person, it looks like a violent kidnapping,” Coffia said. “This practice — wearing masks and hiding identification — mirrors the tactics of secret police in authoritarian regimes and strays from the norms that define legitimate local law enforcement. It confuses and frightens communities. That’s why I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing this meaningful, common-sense legislation.”

“When you don’t know whether someone who was apprehending you is part of the state or not, it gives license to anyone who is not part of the state to also commit violence,” Arbit said. “This shreds the rule of law, and that is why the Trump Administration and the Republican Party are the most pro-crime administration and political party that we have ever seen. It is incredibly important that we in the state of Michigan are asserting our sovereignty and saying that we will not tolerate this within our borders.”

Last week, Attorney General Dana Nessel led a coalition of 21 attorneys general from around the country in sending a letter to members of Congress, urging them to pass legislation that keeps federal immigration agents from wearing masks to conceal their identities and requires them to show their identification and agency-identifying insignia. Coffia’s proposed legislation would uphold those requirements at the state level. 

“Our communities have made it clear — they want safety and they also want respect and visibility. No one serving the public should be allowed to hide their face from the public. We need a more transparent, accountable approach to policing, and this bill is crucial for rebuilding trust,” Rheingans said.

“This bill affirms a simple but powerful truth: law enforcement officers are meant to protect and serve the people — and in a free society, police are accountable to the civilian power. That means the people have the right to see their faces. We owe it to the people we serve — especially in communities that have long felt overpoliced and underprotected — to ensure that law enforcement officers are not shielded from identification while exercising power over the public,” McKinney said. 

“When individuals impersonate law enforcement officers, it’s not just deceptive — it can be incredibly dangerous. Unfortunately, we’ve seen masked men across the country use this tactic to physically and sexually assault women. This bill can help deter this dangerous type of impersonation by ensuring that law enforcement officials are more easily identifiable, and that bad actors don’t have a leg to stand on.” Byrnes said. 

“Masked policing has no place in a free society,” said Veronica Paiz (D-Harper Woods), co-sponsor. “Whether it’s ICE or local law enforcement, the responsibility to protect, uphold the law and detain when necessary must come with visibility, accountability and public trust.” 

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