Most state and federal law enforcement officers would be banned from wearing masks as part of a proposed plan to increase transparency and boost the public’s trust in law enforcement.
Ahead of the next Virginia General Assembly session, Del. Michael Jones has introduced legislation that would crack down on law enforcement officers who wear ski masks, gaiters or other things that may cover their face.
Jones, whose district includes parts of the City of Richmond and Chesterfield County, said he worked as a City Council member to make sure residents felt comfortable calling 911 and taking advantage of simple services, such as flu vaccinations and back-to-school drives.
There was a fear, Jones said, “to engage with local services simply because of what we see going on now. What took me about six-and-a-half years to build was taken away and ripped away, ripped apart in six months.”
The proposed law would ban officers from wearing items that conceal or obscure their face while they’re working. It would allow for medical or surgical masks and helmets or other devices needed to protect someone against exposure to a gas, toxin, smoke or inclement weather.
If someone is injured as a result of “the tortious conduct of a law-enforcement officer who knowingly and intentionally wears a facial covering,” they can file a civil case for actual damages or $10,000, whichever is more, including attorney fees and costs, according to the bill. That would apply regardless of whether the officer has been charged with or convicted of the alleged violation.
Law enforcement officers who violate the ban would be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor, unless the agency they work for has a written policy for the use of face coverings.
“As Americans, we have a basic right to know who’s policing our neighborhoods,” Jones told WTOP. “No one should be able to walk around claiming to be members of law enforcement and we cannot identify you. That is just not safe for anyone, for any of the parties involved.”
Jones said he’s received reports of people impersonating officers, and it’s not basic practice for Richmond or other nearby police departments to have officers walking around in masks, even when serving warrants.
“People are just afraid of their family members being snatched off the street by people in masks,” Jones said.
He added that he hasn’t spoken to Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger about the proposed legislation, but some of his General Assembly colleagues have expressed interest.
WTOP has contacted Spanberger’s team for comment.
As for whether such a ban can be enforced, Jones said local lawmakers can’t “supersede federal law.”
“We need for the measure that has been introduced at the federal level to go through,” he added.
In a statement, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers “wear masks to protect themselves and their families from being doxed. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers act heroically to enforce the law and protect American communities with the utmost professionalism. Anyone pointing the finger at law enforcement officers instead of the criminals are simply doing the bidding of criminal illegal aliens.”
The General Assembly’s 2026 session is scheduled to start in January.
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