In response to immigration raids by masked federal officers in Los Angeles and across the nation, two California lawmakers on Monday proposed a new state law to ban members of law enforcement from concealing their faces while on the job.
The bill would make it a misdemeanor for local, state and federal law enforcement officers to cover their faces with some exceptions, and also encourage them to wear a form of identification on their uniform.
“We’re really at risk of having, effectively, secret police in this country,” said state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), co-author of the bill.
Only really practical exception I can think of is when responding to fires or hazardous chemical releases (not caused by them just chucking teargas all over the place) or when working in hospitals or other indoor locations where there is an extremely high likelihood of encountering someone who is immunocompromised since they probably aren’t up to date on their shots.
In these situations, other forms of identification should be incredibly prominently visible.
Edit for the latter since I know I’m gonna get “whatabouts”: officer should be performing roles that necessitate their presence and are providing safety against clear and present threats, e.g., protection details, wellness checks, or collecting evidence. Not deporting children with leukemia or some such vile fuckery.