Sturgis Police clarify statement

Hours after the Sturgis Police Department released a statement Monday saying it would not respond to complaints about people violating the requirement of facemask use, public safety officials clarified with more details the reason behind their decision.

Geoff Smith, director of public safety, said due to the high volume of potential complaints and the complexities of executive orders versus enforcement of laws on the books, the police department instead asks the public to call the Michigan Attorney General through Whitmer’s constituent services office (517-335-7858).

To clarify regarding the governor’s latest Executive Orders, Smith said the agency has handled each executive order and any potential violation on a case-by-case basis. In response to the latest Executive Order regarding mandatory face covering in public spaces, Smith urges compliance and respect for the order, but police will respond if a potentially hostile situation results from a business trying to enforce the policy.

According to Whitmer’s executive order, businesses could face penalties for not enforcing the use of masks by customers.