Citizen Report No. 1769731390 - 287485636

Jim McDonnell

Los Angeles Police Department [LAPD]

100 West 1st Street

Los Angeles, California 90012

(877) 275-5273

http://lapdonline.o…

Date of Offense

January 29, 2026

Offense(s)

Statement

California has enacted a first-in-the-nation statute broadly restricting law enforcement officers from wearing masks that conceal their identity during official duties. This measure, often referred to as the No Secret Police Act and codified as Senate Bill 627, was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2025 and took effect around the start of 2026. It makes it a misdemeanor for most law enforcement personnel — including local officers and federal agents such as those with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) — to wear facial coverings like ski masks, balaclavas, neck gaiters or similar concealing gear while performing law enforcement operations.

Chief McDonnell's refusal to enforce this law upon federal agents is not within his discretion and can only be considered flagrant cowardice.

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California Public Records Act

§ 6250-6268

The California Public Records Act is a series of laws meant to guarantee that the public has access to public records of governmental bodies in California. In December of 2011, a Superior Court judge ruled that the California Assembly must also disclose budget records of individual lawmakers, after some California newspapers filed a lawsuit accusing legislators of flouting the state’s open records laws.

Public records in the California Public Records Act are defined as “any writing containing information relating to the conduct of the public’s business prepared, owned, used, or retained by any state or local agency regardless of physical form or characteristics.” There is a separate category of “purely personal information” that, although it may be in the custody of a government agency, does not fall under the act. Statute 6255 states a catch all exemption, “The agency shall justify withholding any record by demonstrating that the record in question is exempt under express provisions of this chapter or that on the facts of the particular case the public interest served by not disclosing the record clearly outweighs the public interest served by disclosure of the record.”

Anyone can request public documents in California, and a purpose does not have to be stated. The California Public Records Act does not regulate the use of records obtained from public agencies. One should allow 10 days for an agency to comply with a records request.