BAY CITY, Mich. (Michigan News Sources) – Bay City Commissioner Benjamin Tenney is introducing a resolution at the Aug. 4 city commission meeting that would ban police from using ‘no-knock’ warrants.

The resolution states, “the practice of executing search warrants without first knocking and announcing law enforcement’s presence and purpose (known as ‘no-knock warrants’) poses significant risks to the safety of both law enforcement officers and residents.”

Executing search warrants in Bay City.

MORE NEWS: Michigan Supreme Court Slams Door on “General” Phone Warrants

The resolution lays out how law enforcement must execute search warrants in Bay City: “When executing a search warrant, officers must adhere to a ‘knock and announce’ procedure. This includes physically knocking on an entry door and clearly announcing their presence as law enforcement (while in uniform) with a search warrant. They must wait a reasonable amount of time for occupants to answer before entering, unless there are exigent circumstances as defined by law. Only necessary personnel should accompany the executing officer.”

The National Tactical Officers Association.

In 2022, the National Tactical Officers Association put out a statement saying it was against no-knock warrants.

“We can all agree that there is no easy answer, but there is a correct answer: No-knock search warrants, though well-intended, no longer pass the test of tactical science, risk mitigation practices, and liability-conscious decision-making,” the National Tactical Officers Association said. “No-knock warrants became popular within policing during the ‘War on Drugs’ of the 1980s,’ The fact that those dealing in illegal narcotics were often armed and had criminal histories involving violence, coupled with the threat of evidence destruction, created a dangerous challenge for law enforcement. As a result, law enforcement adopted the tactics of surprise, speed, and “violence of action” (intimidation). Law enforcement hoped that this combination would quickly overwhelm any resistance and avoid injuries.”

In 2021, Senate Democrat Erika Geiss introduced a bill that would ban “no knock” warrants in Michigan. It did not get out of committee.