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Bill to bar anonymous masked policing advances amid split support from local agencies
Summary
SB 627 would prohibit law-enforcement officers from operating masked in public, with exemptions for medical masks, smoke protection, SWAT and undercover operations. Supporters said the bill would curb terror caused by anonymous federal agents; police unions argued the measure threatens officer safety and overreaches on federal activity.
The Assembly Public Safety Committee advanced SB 627 after debate about whether a statewide prohibition on "extreme masking" by law-enforcement officers would protect communities or put officers at risk.
Sen. Wiener, the bill's author, framed SB 627 as a response to reports of federal immigration enforcement operations in which agents wore face coverings and unmarked vehicles, producing fear and confusion in immigrant communities. Witnesses supporting the bill included the Prosecutors Alliance;…
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