Law enforcement officers who cover their faces while conducting official business could face a misdemeanor charge in California under a new proposal announced last week.
If approved, the bill would require all law enforcement officials, whether local, state, or federal, 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. Jesse Arreguín, a Democrat representing Berkeley and Oakland, and State Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat representing San Francisco, said they authored the proposal in response to recent federal operations in California in an effort to boost transparency and public trust in law enforcement. Called the No Secret Police Act, SB 627 also looks to protect against people trying to impersonate law enforcement, they said…