Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Missoula police chief says department policy requires officers to identify themselves; federal agents should follow local rules, he says
Summary
Police Chief Mike Collier told Wake Up Missoula that the Missoula Police Department prohibits unmarked personnel or masked officers who cannot be identified, and said face coverings are allowed only in narrow safety circumstances and must be removable for identification.
Missoula Police Chief Mike Collier told Wake Up Missoula on Jan. 30 that local policy requires officers and other law-enforcement personnel to be identifiable and that the Missoula Police Department does not conduct operations with anonymous, unmarked personnel who conceal their identities.
Chief Collier said people who appear to be federal agents arriving in unmarked vehicles or wearing uniforms and masks that prevent identification do not reflect Missoula Police Department practice. He said face coverings are permitted in official duties only under limited conditions — for example, during the COVID pandemic or in extreme weather — and even then personnel must remove coverings if asked so they can be identified.
The chief’s remarks were presented as a local policy clarification and reassurance to residents concerned about federal law-enforcement tactics seen elsewhere; the broadcast did not include statements from federal agencies. Collier said the department maintains “strict policy” about identification during operations and emphasized the department’s intention to protect constitutional rights while conducting law enforcement.
The broadcast included no reported changes to department regulations and no operational incidents in Missoula were described on the air. Collier’s comments were framed as guidance about local practice and an appeal for federal agents to adhere to local legal norms when operating in the city.
