Title
Adding Chapter 268A to the Legislative Code to require law enforcement officers performing law enforcement duties to visibly display identification on the outermost layer of their uniform.
Body
Section 1.
WHEREAS, transparency and accountability in law enforcement operations are essential to maintaining public trust; and
WHEREAS, across the country, state and local law enforcement respond to calls in full uniform, including calls to dangerous or violent situations or situations that may threaten their well-being;
WHEREAS, Saint Paul residents have the right to be aware of an officer’s identity and agency affiliation in order to know their rights and understand the lawful authority the officer possesses, as different law enforcement officers operating in this city have different levels of authority to make arrests and enter certain spaces.
WHEREAS, without knowledge of a law enforcement officer’s agency, there is no way for people to report or hold officers accountable for unprofessional behavior or misconduct, even in instances of violence or illegal activity;
WHEREAS, the increasing use of face coverings, the absence of visible names, officer identification or badge number, or other individually identifying information on an officer’s uniform, the failure to be clearly and conspicuously identifiable as law enforcement, or the use of unmarked vehicles during law enforcement activities has raised concerns for public safety;
WHEREAS, the lack of consistent and visible personal and agency identification renders it difficult for state and local law enforcement to distinguish between authorized personnel and bad actors;
WHEREAS, Chapter 10, United States Code, Section 723, provides that during a civil disturbance, federal law enforcement personnel employed to provide support are required to visibly display the individual’s name and the name of the agency of which they are employed;
WHEREAS, Department of Homeland Security regulations, promulgated through the agency’s rulemaking authority, explicitly require Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents to identify themselves as immigration officers at the time of arrest. 8 C.F.R. §287.8(c)(2)(iii)(A) (2025)
WHEREAS, a requirement to conduct law enforcement operations without a facial covering unless an exception applies would affect incidentally the mode of carrying out an officer’s employment without any effect on the federal government’s authority to enforce immigration law;
WHEREAS, people with insidious and illegal motives are using the rising trend of unidentifiable law enforcement to pose as law enforcement to harass or detain others, which undermines public trust in law enforcement, particularly among vulnerable individuals;
WHEREAS, the State of Minnesota’s political leadership was targeted by an assassin, who allegedly impersonated a law enforcement officer to gain access and the trust of his victims before committing his horrific acts;
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul has the authority and responsibility under its police powers to maintain order and protect the safety and well-being of all its residents; and
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, Saint Paul City Council adds Chapter 268A to the Legislative Code to require law enforcement officers performing law enforcement duties to visibly display identification on the outermost layer of their uniform. The City Council of the City of Saint Paul Does Ordain:
Section 2.
Sec. 268A.01. Visible Display of Insignia by Law Enforcement Agencies and Law Enforcement Officers Required
(a) Definitions.
For purposes of this section, the following terms have the meaning given:
(1) “Identification” means the name of the Law Enforcement Agency by which such Law Enforcement Officer is employed and either a name or badge number or both name and badge number of the Law Enforcement Officer.
(2) “Law Enforcement Agency” means any governmental department, agency, office, or division with the authority to detect and apprehend persons violating federal, state, or local laws. This includes any federal law enforcement agency, any law enforcement agency of the State of Minnesota, any county law enforcement agency, any law enforcement agency of a city or any other local unit of government, and any law enforcement agency of another state;
(3) “Law Enforcement Officer” means any person elected, appointed, or employed by a Law Enforcement Agency empowered to detect and apprehend persons violating federal, state, or local laws;
(4) “Law Enforcement Duties” means law enforcement operations involving:
(i) proactive patrols on foot or in or on a police vehicle;
(ii) detention or arrest of an individual; or
(iii) deployment for crowd control purposes.
(5) “Visibly Display” means to display in a size and location reasonably visible to a member of the public with whom the Law Enforcement Officer interacts.
(b) Visible display of identification required.
(1) A Law Enforcement Officer performing Law Enforcement Duties in the city of Saint Paul must Visibly Display Identification on the outermost layer of their uniform, except that the officer may decline to Visibly Display Identification when:
(i) conducting active undercover operations or investigative activities;
(ii) exigent circumstances, involving an imminent danger to persons or property, or the escape of a perpetrator, or the destruction of evidence, including if the Law Enforcement Officer is responding to those circumstances while off-duty;
(iii) where there is a specific, articulable, and particularized reason to believe identification would pose a significant danger to the physical safety of the Officer.
(iv) complying with applicable laws governing occupational health or safety; or
(v) complying with applicable laws governing reasonable accommodations.
(2) Any Law Enforcement Officer performing Law Enforcement Duties who willfully and knowingly violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, may be punished by fine, by imprisonment, or both, as provided under section 1.05 of the Legislative Code. Each violation of this chapter by a Law Enforcement Officer on a given day is considered a separate violation.
Section 3.
This ordinance shall take effect thirty (30) days after passage, approval by the Mayor, and publication in the City's newspaper.