New York has moved to limit the ability of officers to operate behind masks. According to the report, the state passed a law stating that, if someone is exercising law enforcement authority in New York, they should not be able to conceal their identity from the public, a measure framed by state officials as a matter of trust and accountability.
A central feature of the law is that it does not single out any one agency. According to the report, the rule applies equally to local, federal and state officials, and explicitly includes ICE, without creating one set of rules for federal law enforcement and a different set for everyone else, with officials stressing that it is exactly the same across the board.
The reasoning offered by the state ties the measure to public confidence in government. According to the report, officials argued that hiding one's face is nothing more than a fear and intimidation tactic, and that it is not how the state keeps people safe, adding that New Yorkers have a right to know who is exercising government authority in their communities.
Officials also sought to present the law as measured rather than absolute. According to the report, the text contains common sense exceptions, such as medical masks or necessary tactical equipment, with the state describing the requirement to show one's face as a general rule that recognizes the realities of dangerous and difficult law enforcement work.
The identity measure is part of a wider set of actions on immigration enforcement and public services. According to the report, the broader package is meant to protect sensitive locations so that people can worship freely, send their children to school and seek medical care and essential services without fear of being apprehended or intimidated.
The state also addressed how local police powers should and should not be used. According to the report, officials said local taxpayers should not be paying local officers to do the federal job, pointed to more than 3 billion dollars invested in law enforcement, and framed the overall approach as protecting constitutional rights, due process and public safety at the same time.