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Jackson County committee holds ordinance that would ban officers from concealing badges or faces
Summary
The Jackson County Anti-Crime Committee heard debate on Ordinance 6050, which would prohibit officers from concealing badges or faces and establish penalties and exemptions. Legal counsel warned the county likely lacks authority over federal agents; the committee voted to hold the measure pending prosecutor review.
The Jackson County Anti-Crime Committee on a hold voted Tuesday to pause consideration of Ordinance 6050, a measure presented to prohibit law enforcement officers from concealing their faces or badges while performing official duties and to establish penalties and exemptions.
A lawmaker who introduced the ordinance told the committee the measure was aimed at federal enforcement tactics used by agencies such as ICE, arguing that officers who “shield and hide their faces” and identifying information evade accountability and that local enforcement and prosecutions can trigger court challenges that drive change. “If you come into Jackson County, you will be prosecuted for covering up your name, your faces,” the lawmaker said in the meeting.
Legal counsel told the committee it had not signed off on the ordinance and cautioned the county likely lacks the legal authority to set policy for federal law enforcement officers. “We don't believe that the county has the legal authority to mandate what the federal law enforcement can and can't do,” counsel said, warning that any enforcement action would probably be challenged in court.
Committee members discussed alternatives and implementation questions, including whether presenting the measure as a resolution instead of an ordinance would change enforceability and whether the sheriff's office or prosecutors had been consulted. One committee member pressed for information from other counties that have attempted similar policies and for input from the agencies that would enforce any measure.
The chair recommended holding the item until the prosecutor's office could be consulted. A motion to hold was made and seconded and the committee voted to hold the ordinance; vocal affirmations and one recorded opposing vote were entered during the roll. After the vote, a committee member asked whether officers could display badges even when faces were covered; the lawmaker said they would seek briefings from national organizations and urged action within days to protect immigrant communities.
The committee adjourned at 12:19 p.m. The ordinance will return to the committee after staff and legal review and consultation with the prosecutor's office, per the chair's recommendation.
