GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The day after Green Bay’s city council voted 7 to 5 to create an ordinance requiring masks be worn in public buildings, city officials started receiving threats about the new mandate.
Police are now trying to find out whether those threats are credible.
“In any case, we investigate them all,” said Chief Andrew Smith of the Green Bay Police Department.
Alder Randy Scannell first proposed a mask requirement for Green Bay. He tells FOX 11 he’s lost track of how many messages he’s received about it.
“This was the first time ever I was not able to keep on top of responding to someone.”
One email stood out to the west side alder.
“It called me a traitor and talked about sedition and liberty and God and that all traitors must die and I’m a traitor and I must die and they’re going to make sure I die.”
Scannell says he believes that email was sent to all alders who voted in favor of the mask ordinance, plus Mayor Eric Genrich, City Attorney Vanessa Chavez, and Chief Smith.
“I think most alders received at least one,” said Smith. “I know it appeared to be multiple people who were sending emails of a threatening nature.”
Green Bay Police detectives are now investigating and plan to loop in FBI agents if necessary.
Smith tells FOX 11 he emailed all city officials, telling them to be a bit more cautious.
“The detectives have not identified anybody in particular or interviewed anybody who has been sending these, but obviously they have some pretty good idea who they are.”
Alder Brian Johnson voted against the mask policy. He says he also received inappropriate messages.
“What is important is how we respond to that and we’re going to do that in a positive way. That is our role as elected officials. We just ask the public to step up and meet us on that playing field.”
Police say they hope to educate people on the mask rule, but will issue a $10 citation if necessary. They say the penalty for any credible threat will obviously be much more severe.
Green Bay’s mask mandate ordinance goes into effect on Monday.
Comments