DETROIT — Detroit City Council At-Large Member Mary Waters has formally introduced a controversial new ordinance that would prohibit law enforcement officers from wearing masks or facial coverings while performing their duties inside the City of Detroit.
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The proposal, titled the “Alex Pretti Detroit No Masks Ordinance,” was submitted for City Council review on Jan. 28, 2026, and is being framed by Waters as both a transparency measure and a memorial to Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis resident she says was killed by a masked mob.
“We will not have a Detroit where a masked mob are afforded the opportunity to enforce the law with impunity. We want to see the faces of law enforcement in Detroit,” Waters said in a statement announcing the proposal.
She added that the ordinance is intended to honor Pretti’s memory, saying his death in Minnesota at the hands of masked individuals “will not be tolerated in Detroit.”
Under the proposed ordinance, no local, state, or federal law enforcement officer would be allowed to wear a mask or any facial covering that conceals their identity while carrying out official duties inside Detroit.
The ordinance states its purpose is to ensure that law enforcement officers can be identified while operating in the city, a move that supporters argue increases accountability and transparency, especially during protests, crowd control, and special operations.
However, the proposal also raises immediate legal and operational questions. Federal and state agencies operating in Detroit, including the FBI, ATF, U.S. Marshals, and Michigan State Police, typically operate under their own internal safety and tactical rules, which sometimes include face coverings for undercover work, crowd control, or officer safety. Whether the city has the legal authority to impose such a restriction on outside agencies remains unclear.
The ordinance does not currently list specific penalties for violations. Instead, it states that punishments would be determined by the City of Detroit Law Department, meaning enforcement details would come later if the ordinance is approved.
The proposal now heads to Detroit City Council for review, where it is expected to draw sharp debate over officer safety, civil rights, and the city’s authority to regulate outside law-enforcement agencies.
No vote has yet been scheduled.
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- NMD Staff
Staff@NewMediaDetroit.com