A pair of California lawmakers are attempting to prohibit law enforcement officers from wearing face coverings, amid protests in Los Angeles against the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
State Sens. Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguin, both Democrats from San Francisco and Oakland, announced Monday that they would introduce SB 627, which would prohibit local, state, and federal law enforcement officers from covering their faces when interacting with the general public.
The legislation, known as the No Secret Police Act, would also require law enforcement officers to wear identification, according to Wiener in a post on X.
Wiener claimed at a press conference outside San Francisco City Hall on Monday that “secret police” were “grabbing” people off the street, according to Fox San Francisco affiliate KTVU.
The bill would exempt SWAT teams and officers who wear medical masks during natural disasters like wildfires, according to the lawmakers. Clear riot gear would also be permitted because it is see-through.
According to Arreguin, the bill aims to ensure transparency and accountability in law enforcement while also protecting them and the public from potential impersonators.
The proposed legislation follows several days of protests in Los Angeles against the Trump administration’s immigration policies. The protests prompted President Donald Trump to deploy National Guard troops without the approval of California Governor Gavin Newsom.
The Los Angeles Police Department made no arrests on Sunday night, marking the first day without any since the protests began on June 6.
Wiener referenced the Trump administration’s immigration raids when introducing the bill, according to The San Francisco Standard.
“The recent federal operations in California have created an environment of profound terror,” Wiener told the local publication. “If we want the public to trust law enforcement, we cannot allow them to behave like secret police in an authoritarian state.”
“Secret police behavior undermines trust and must stop,” Wiener wrote.
