Law Enforcement Unmasking, Mandatory Visible Identification Bill Introduced

A new bill 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 was introduced into the Senate on Monday.

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.

Senator Wiener and Senator Arreguin wrote the bill as a response to the recent Los Angeles anti-ICE protests and riots, where many officers proved to be difficult to identify in part because of face coverings and things like their name and badge number not being seen on their uniform. Both Senators gave several reasons for creating SB 627 on Monday, including wanting to combat police officers from “grabbing people off the street” and to increase transparency and accountability of officers. They argued that the bill would then increase trust with law enforcement and would even protect them, as it would make impersonation more difficult.

“We’re announcing new legislation — the No Secret Police Act (SB 627) — to ban local/state/federal law enforcement, w/ some exceptions, from covering their faces when interacting w/ the public & require them to wear identifying info,” posted Senator Wiener on X on Monday. “Secret police behavior tanks trust & must end.”

“The recent federal operations in California have created an environment of profound terror,” added Wiener at a press conference outside the San Francisco City Hall. “If we want the public to trust law enforcement, we cannot allow them to behave like secret police in an authoritarian state. Law enforcement should be proud to show their faces, and doing so will increase trust in public-safety officials.

“SB 627 would help end the emerging trend of secret police grabbing people off the streets. We do not need secret police in California. Some law enforcement are grabbing people and throwing them into vans and disappearing them.”

However, law enforcement groups and many lawmakers are expected to oppose SB 627 because of the safety risks it would pose on officers. Specifically, many are worried 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.

While no law enforcement agency or group has responded to the bill yet, the issue has been addressed nationally.

“Why? So that they can target them?” said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) when responding to a question on a call to get federal agents to stop wearing masks earlier this month.  “So they can put their names and faces online and dox them? That’s what these activists do. So we have to protect those who protect our communities. And it’s absurd for anybody, members of Congress or any other elected leader, to be calling out ICE for trying to do their job. They’ve made it difficult for them to do it for years, and I just think it’s patently absurd.”

In addition, some others, including President Donald Trump, have denounced protesters from wearing masks as it shields their identity when they commit crimes, with the President and other state leaders from across the country pushing to institute mask bans during protests at Universities.

SB 627 is to be heard in the Senate soon.