Seems like name, badge number, and some basic form of identification would curtail a lot of the excess violence and lawlessness we see from police officers. Those in the business of enforcing Trump's draconian immigration policies see things differently, of course. They're worried about some good old-fashioned vigilante justice being meted out to police officers and ICE agents.
Homeland Security certainly doesn't like it, tweeting: "California State Sen. Scott Wiener’s proposed legislation banning our federal law enforcement from wearing masks and his rhetoric comparing ICE to “secret police” is despicable." I dunno, seems to me to be the textbook definition of a secret police, with covered faces, no identification, no warrants, etc.
Source: KABC
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A uniform, name tag, and badge number are typically meant to signal authority and accountability in law enforcement. But recent immigration raids involving agents in plain clothes, face coverings, and no visible identification have sparked concern among immigrant communities and state lawmakers.
"Law enforcement officers are public servants, and people should be able to see their faces, see who they are, know who they are," said state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco. "Otherwise, there is no transparency and no accountability."
Wiener and Assembly Public Safety Committee Chair Jesse Arreguín, D-Oakland, are backing legislation called the "No Secret Police Act." The bill would prohibit officers operating in California from concealing their identities by covering their faces.
"What we have been seeing in the last few weeks are law enforcement -- some local, some federal -- who are wearing masks to completely hide their faces while they are carrying out deportation and other enforcement activities," Arreguín said.
The legislation would require clear identification through uniforms, name tags, or badge numbers. It would also apply to officers contracted from outside jurisdictions. However, exceptions would be made for SWAT teams, officers wearing wildfire protection gear, and those using medical-grade face masks.
The exceptions are basic common sense.
It's called the "No Secret Police Act," and if passed, the bill would prohibit officers operating in California from concealing their identities by covering their faces.
Read more: https://t.co/kBL693oBvx pic.twitter.com/9HlhmPrRsc— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) June 18, 2025
Kristi Noem's Homeland Security objects, calling the bill "despicable."
California State Sen. Scott Wiener’s proposed legislation banning our federal law enforcement from wearing masks and his rhetoric comparing ICE to “secret police” is despicable.
While ICE officers are being assaulted by rioters, a sanctuary politician is trying to outlaw… https://t.co/2nkeIjmlgg— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) June 16, 2025
