The Decatur City Council on Wednesday approved Ordinance 25-46-11, a citywide ordinance that makes it illegal to bypass security checkpoints or to assist someone in bypassing them, officials said during the meeting at Decatur City Council Chambers.

The ordinance, which council members said was drafted with input from the Decatur Police Department and the city legal department, “would pertain to all security checkpoints in the city” and defines prohibited acts including ignoring directions of attendants, a staff member explained during the meeting.

Why it matters: Council members and members of the public said the law affects where and how security checks can be conducted across Decatur — from sporting events to other sites that decide to screen entrants — and they pressed for clarity about who must pass through checkpoints and how city employees and officials will be treated.

City staff and police described the ordinance as modeled on similar laws in other municipalities. A staff speaker said police researched other cities’ ordinances and that the draft was intended to provide an easier-to-prosecute offense than existing trespass rules. The staff member told the council, “We decided that other municipalities had specific laws that would be easier to understand and easier to prosecute. That's what we did in this.”

Public comment and council concerns
Mike Farooqi, a resident who spoke during public comment, criticized the timing and readiness of the ordinance, saying, “The ordinance was not ready for prime time, but it was approved.” He and others said questions raised at earlier meetings had not been answered before the vote.

Several council members expressed support for the ordinance’s goal but voiced reservations about administration and equal application. One council member said they “don't have a problem with the ordinance in itself,” adding that they also had “concerns about the admin — administering who who comes through and who doesn't.” That council member and others noted that city employees and certain officials often pass checkpoints without screening and asked how the rule would be implemented so it applied consistently.

Implementation and next steps
Council members were told that the ordinance applies citywide to any location that establishes a security checkpoint and that the legal department and police are discussing potential tweaks to the administrative procedures for entry and exit. A staff speaker said that any changes to operational procedures would be developed separately from the ordinance: “We are discussing legal and the police department discussing the potential of tweaking the security of how to get in and out. And if that comes to pass, we'll do that.”

Council action
The motion to adopt Ordinance 25-46-11 was moved by Council member Kyle Dukes Pike and seconded by a council member who was recorded as the motion’s seconder. The council approved the ordinance by a 4-1 vote. The roll call in the record shows Jackson — aye; McMasters — aye; Pepper — no; with the final tally recorded as four in favor and one opposed.

What the ordinance does not yet resolve
Council members and multiple public commenters asked for clearer administration rules and said the public had limited time to vet outstanding questions before the vote. City staff said the ordinance includes a definition of “security checkpoint,” and that the police department will continue to refine procedures. The council did not specify an implementation date beyond the ordinance’s approval.

The measure was presented and passed at the council's regular meeting; staff said any operational changes would be addressed by legal and the police department after the ordinance’s adoption.