Bill to Mandate Unmasking of All Law Enforcement Rebuked

In a series of statements this week, both Republican lawmakers and law enforcement groups spoke out against a new bill in the Senate that would ban local, state, and federal law enforcement officers in California from covering their faces when interacting with the public and require them to wear something with their identity on it.

Senate Bill 627, authored by Senators Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) and Jesse Arreguin (D-Berkeley), would specifically prohibit law enforcement, ranging from local units all the way up to federal officers, from covering their faces. The bill, also known as the No Secret Police Act, would additionally require law enforcement officers to be identifiable, with their names and other info being on uniforms, ID cards, or other means readily seen. Officers that require face coverings as part of operations, including SWAT teams, would be exempt from SB 627,  as would those who would need to wear masks for protection against wildfires.

According to the bill, all officers who don’t comply would get a misdemeanor.

The Senators wrote SB 627 as a response to last month’s Los Angeles anti-ICE protests and riots. Many officers proved to be difficult to identify in part because of face coverings and names and badge numbers not visible on their uniforms after being doxxed by leftist radicals. The Senators said law enforcement failed to take into account the numerous issues that would result.

Law enforcement groups and many lawmakers came out in opposition to SB 627 because of the safety risks it would pose on officers. Specifically, many continue to be concerned about being doxxed, where their name, address, and other information is shared online to harass the officer or worse. The absence of masks could also lead to officers getting injured as protesters and attackers can throw things at them that masks would normally help protect against. This can include potentially dangerous things that are immediately inhalable, as well as protesters throwing tear gas cannisters back at police.

However, with the bill about to go before the Assembly Public Safety Committee and a similar bill authored by U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) now up in the U.S Senate, several GOP lawmakers and law enforcement groups restated their opposition against the bills on Tuesday.

“This bill won’t promote accountability – it will promote harassment, intimidation, and violence,” said Assemblyman Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale). “It puts a target on every officer’s back – both on and off the job.”

Assembly Republicans as a whole also penned a letter on Tuesday warning that the proposal would open the door for officers and their families to be assaulted and threatened in their own homes. They likewise urged the rejection of SB 627, demanding that the Legislature choose safety over politics, and protect both law enforcement families and peaceful protestors.

“This bill is not just bad policy – it is a threat to our public servants,” said the lawmakers in their letter. “Our peace officers deserve better.”

State and federal bills

Law enforcement groups, like the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC), also renewed opposition. While they reiterated many of the reasons put forth by the GOP lawmakers, they pointed out that Local, county, and state law enforcement officers had nothing to do with ICE and would essentially force officers to choose between personal protection and a misdemeanor. In addition, they showed that there are already laws and methods in place that can identify officers, rendering the entire bill useless at best.

“First and foremost, thank you to the local law enforcement officers throughout the state who have made it possible for Californians to safely demonstrate their First Amendment rights last week. In regard to SB 627, we wish Senator Weiner and Senator Arreguin would have worked with PORAC before introducing
this bill – it would have prevented the need for us to publicly call out how ill-conceived it is,” noted PORAC President Brian Marvel in a statement.

“Let me be clear: California’s local law enforcement officers are not ICE. Existing state law prevents us from enforcing federal immigration policies, and our involvement in the activities from the last week have been focused on protecting Californian’s ability to protest peacefully. We are not an extension of the federal government. We are a part of California’s communities, which we are proud to serve and call home. Using local law enforcement as a punching bag to grandstand against the federal government should not be an acceptable practice from our state leaders. It is misdirected, misguided, and intolerable.

“Instead, this unnecessary bill would effectively ban personal protective equipment – like face shields and gas masks—used in high-risk situations such as riots or chemical exposures. SB 627 would force our officers to choose between personal protection and a misdemeanor, risking their safety and our communities’ safety for a law that solves nothing. California already has robust oversight measures to ensure that officers can be identified and held responsible for their actions, including language in our penal code which requires uniformed officers to wear a badge, nameplate or other device which clearly displays their ID number or name.”

Other lawmakers and groups are expected to give more statements soon as the first Committee vote approaches.