Officers who cover their faces could be charged with a misdemeanor under California proposal
Source: Associated Press
Officers who cover their faces could be charged with a misdemeanor under California proposal
By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ
Updated 8:00 PM EDT, June 16, 2025
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Local, state, and federal law enforcement officers who cover their faces while conducting official business could face a misdemeanor charge in California under a new proposal announced Monday.
If approved, the bill would require all law enforcement officials to show their faces and be identifiable by their uniform, which should carry their name or other identifier. It would not apply to the National Guard or other troops and it would exempt SWAT teams and officers responding to natural disasters.
State Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat representing San Francisco, and State Sen. Jesse Arreguin, a Democrat representing Berkeley and Oakland, said the proposal seeks to boost transparency and public trust in law enforcement. It also looks to protect against people trying to impersonate law enforcement, they said.
“We are seeing more and more law enforcement officers, particularly at the federal level, covering their faces entirely, not identifying themselves at all and, at times, even wearing army fatigues where we can’t tell if these are law enforcement officers or a vigilante militia,” Wiener said.
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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/california-law-ice-facemasks-immigration-6de057e7b87de9ac192fe00ba33265eb