LOS ANGELES () — It’s a California law, federal law enforcement officers are banned from wearing masks while on duty, but the Los Angeles Police Department doesn’t plan to enforce it.
Police Chief Jim McDonnell said that, while he is frustrated by the way immigration enforcement has been handled, one armed agency approaching another armed agency to create conflict doesn’t make sense.
Chief McDonnell said that the state’s federal mask ban is not a good public policy decision and it wasn’t well thought out.
The ban on face coverings known as the “No Secret Police Act” was introduced following immigration raids across Southern California that began last summer.
The Trump Administration is also challenging the ban, which went into effect on January 1.
So far, the judge preceding over that case has indicated that the federal government has a strong argument that this could be discrimination against federal agents since some California state law enforcement is exempt.
“We are in line with our federal partners on everything except immigration enforcement,” said Chief McDonnell. “What we’ve seen since June here in Los Angeles and seen across the country, we’re as frustrated as everybody else — about the way that’s being done.”
The police chief said there were concerns that because of these raids people wouldn’t call LAPD when they need help from the police. However, he said that data so far shows no significant increase or decrease when it comes to calls.
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