Sacramento, California – Bay Area lawmakers introduced legislation on Monday that would prevent all levels of law enforcement from hiding their faces while conducting operations in the state.
State Senators Scott Wiener and Jesse Arreguin stated that the bill would also compel cops to be identifiable by their uniforms or other means.
Senators representing San Francisco and Oakland, respectively, would also require cops to be identified by their uniforms or other means.
“We do not need secret police in California,” Wiener said on Monday during a news conference outside San Francisco City Hall, adding that certain law enforcement officers are “grabbing” people and “throwing them into vans and disappearing them.”
Some exceptions to SB 627, or the ‘No Secret Police Act,’ include SWAT teams and cops who wear medical masks during a natural disaster, such as smoke.
Riot gear would still be permitted under the measure, as the face shields are see-through.
According to Arreguin, the goal of this bill is to ensure transparency and accountability in law enforcement, especially federal agents.
The senators also stated that the bill is aimed to safeguard law enforcement officers against impersonators.
The California Police Chiefs Association and the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association did not immediately return requests for comment. The Oakland Police Department also did not immediately respond to the suggestion.
Wiener stated that he will be discussing the bill with local police enforcement, but provided no other details.
He also acknowledged a potential critique of the bill: officers may be doxxed.
He stated he didn’t want that, but he also didn’t want California to become a haven for faceless, hidden “Storm Trooper” cops.
If the bill is passed, violating the rule will be considered a misdemeanor.
