Two Bay Area state senators have introduced legislation that would prohibit law enforcement officers from covering their faces during operations in California.
Dubbed the No Secret Police Act, it would cover all levels of law enforcement, and would also require officers’ uniforms to show their name or some other identifier.
Sens. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, and Jesse Arreguin, D-Berkeley, said the legislation is a response to recent immigration raids in California and is needed to provide transparency and bolster public trust in law enforcement.
“The recent federal operations in California have created an environment of profound terror. If we want the public to trust law enforcement, we cannot allow them to behave like secret police in an authoritarian state,” Wiener said.
The bill would exempt SWAT teams, medical grade masks and masks designed to protect against exposure to smoke during a state of emergency related to wildfires.
Federal law enforcement officers have conducted raids in recent months, in California and around the country, while covering their faces and, at times, badges, names, and other identifying information.
“They sometimes wear jackets stating ‘Police’ — effectively impersonating local law enforcement,” the senators said in a news release on Monday.
The bill defines law enforcement officers as any officer of a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency, or any person acting on behalf of a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency. A violation of the bill’s prohibition is punishable as a misdemeanor.