Bay City Commission directs manager to develop public-safety policy restricting no‑knock warrants

The Bay City City Commission voted to direct the city manager to develop formal Department of Public Safety procedures governing how warrants are executed, including provisions addressing no‑knock warrants, after a lengthy public discussion and commission debate.

The measure, introduced by Commissioner Tenney and seconded by Commissioner Runberg, passed on a roll call of 7 yes, 1 no. Mayor Gerard cast the lone no vote.

Commissioners and members of the public debated the scope and effect of the resolution in several rounds. Supporters said the policy would codify current practices and add clarity for officers and the public. "This would basically be codifying current practice into policy so that nobody thinks that police are intruders," Commissioner Tenney said during deliberations. Several commissioners emphasized the intent to preserve officer tools while adding written guidance.

Opponents and some public speakers warned about unintended consequences. Commissioner Coakley said she had spoken with local officers who prefer the status quo and expressed concern that new limits could impair safety; the director of public safety and other staff answered operational questions during the discussion.

Staff told the commission the city rarely executes no‑knock warrants on its own. The director said the department had assisted state police on four no‑knock calls in the past five years; those assisted operations were described by staff as having no injuries. The director added that the city does not maintain an armored emergency services vehicle and sometimes requests state or county assistance when specialized equipment or teams are needed.

The adopted directive requires the manager to draft a written policy that will be returned to the commission for final approval. Commissioners said the draft will be reviewed in light of collective bargaining agreements and existing mutual‑aid practices so that outside agencies would remain able to assist where needed.

The vote came after public comment that included calls both for a ban on no‑knock warrants and for preserving officer discretion. Speakers urged judicial oversight and clear limits on interjurisdictional data sharing and surveillance tools in related comments, but the commission’s action at this meeting focused on directing staff to develop a departmental policy for how warrants are served.

The commission did not adopt specific operational restrictions at this meeting; it approved only the resolution directing the city manager to produce a proposed policy for future consideration.