Kalamazoo-area law enforcement team will not wear masks following community concerns

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) has updated its policies regarding face masks after community members raised concerns about them.

Police Chief David Boysen made the announcement Wednesday — just a couple days after hearing public comments shared at the City Commission meeting.

Boysen says investigators with the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team (KVET) were wearing masks to conceal their identities in some cases — a policy that's been in place since the 1990s.

They will not be wearing them at all moving forward.

Boysen says he began reviewing the department's internal policies several months ago in light of the current national discourse around law enforcement and federal agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

This was their original policy, as shared on social media:

PURPOSE To maximize the safety of police personnel while assigned to undercover investigations and minimize citizen fears of masked persons.

508.2 PROCEDURE (a) Officers who are working undercover may be placed in danger if they are observed with uniformed police. Face shields may be worn when officers working undercover investigations believe that their identities may be compromised.

1. Officers should limit their use of face shields to the time they are actually in direct presence of identifiable police personnel or marked police vehicles.

2. Officers shall consider community perception while wearing face shields. Officers shall try not to confuse or frighten citizens; therefore, officers should try to avoid wearing face shields while parked in an undercover vehicle in the community.

(b) Officers wearing face shields must also wear highly visible police markings, such as shirts or jackets with enlarged POLICE lettering.

(c) During search warrant operations, officers wearing face shields will be no closer than fourth officer through the door, following unmasked uniformed officers.

Then on July 15, Boysen implemented stricter guidelines to include:

• No officer is permitted to wear a mask during initial contact with suspects or while executing a search warrant.
• Masks can only be worn after a scene is secured, and only by officers working in an undercover capacity.
• Officers were also instructed to minimize their presence in public while masked.

Boysen says that previous precautions were not sufficient to maintain community trust, and on August 5, 2025, staff were notified that use of masks was suspended effective immediately.

Boysen says this decision may be revisited in the future, but he believes this is the right step to avoid contributing to further public fear or uncertainty.

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