An internal memo from the Michigan State Police (MSP) stated the agency will “encourage voluntary compliance” with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s latest coronavirus lockdown orders announced Sunday.
The directive from Col. Joe Gasper — a Whitmer appointee — noted the order from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) “includes civil and misdemeanor criminal penalties for violations.”
“Enlisted members shall familiarize themselves with the emergency order and continue to educate and encourage voluntary compliance from the public,” it said.
Gasper went on to encourage troopers and staff to set a “positive example” for residents and ordered “all members shall wear an approved face covering while on-duty, or while off-duty in a department facility.” He said the covering must cover “both the mouth and nose.”
On Sunday, Whitmer issued a new string of orders via the MDHHS, despite a Michigan Supreme Court ruling from October determining her executive orders were unconstitutional.
The Detroit News reported:
The new policies will temporarily halt in-person instruction at high schools and colleges, dine-in service at restaurants and bars, and high school athletics as well as close some businesses, including movie theaters, bowling alleys and casinos.
The restrictions, imposed through a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) order, will take effect Wednesday, will be in place for three weeks and will end Dec. 8. Under the order, indoor residential gatherings will be limited to two households at any one time.
When Breitbart News sought clarification as to whether the MSP intended to enforce the penalties, or merely “encourage voluntary compliance,” the agency responded:
The emergency order from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services includes civil and misdemeanor criminal penalties for violations. MSP members will continue to educate and encourage voluntary compliance from the public, but if an enforcement member determines that enforcement action is necessary, there is a process in place that allows for action to be taken under either the civil or criminal provisions of the emergency order.
Whitmer and the MDHHS billed the action as a three-week “pause.”
Tonight, @MichiganHHS issued an emergency order that enacts a three-week pause, targeting indoor social gatherings and other group activities to curb our state’s rising #COVID19 infection rates. pic.twitter.com/yEc0enVPBX
— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) November 16, 2020
Whitmer is shuttering in-person learning for high schoolers, arguing that population has the most contact with their peers. Amateur organized sports, including the current high school playoff seasons, are also “paused.”
Indoor dining at restaurants and bars is also banned under the new order, as are theaters, movie theaters, stadiums, arenas, bowling centers, ice skating rinks, indoor water parks, bingo halls, casinos, and arcades. Group fitness classes were also nixed.
State Rep. Matt Maddock (R-Milford) announced Sunday evening he and several other lawmakers would launch an impeachment proceeding against Whitmer.
Kyle Olson is a reporter for Breitbart News. He is also host of “The Kyle Olson Show,” syndicated on Michigan radio stations on Saturdays. Listen to segments on YouTube or download full podcast episodes. Follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook, and follow him on Parler.
