Images are frightened. Across the country, the law enforcement officers of simple clothes and wearing ski masks and balaclavas snatch and sorting protesters,, students and even Selected Officers. These scenes stimulate images of government thugs in violent regime lost to opponents.
This is not how polling should look into a democratic society. Which reason is that all – regardless of political companionship or immigration implementation – need to support the categorized bills to address this growing problem. Three pieces of legislation – under consideration or expected soon – forbid to masking maintenance agents and customs A Thursday From reps. Dan Goldman (DN.Y.) and Adriano Espaillat (DN.Y.) and one expects the bad. Alex Padilla (DNIF Booker (DNIF. It is obvious, common measures to be codified by law – but the reality is given today, and what the streets are done around the country, they have done.
In the United States, those who are intended to implement the law are public servants, answered by people by their elective representatives. Dressing in uniforms and insignia, and publicly identifying themselves, is what explains the authority of an official and enables public accountability.
That is why US police agencies with policies that require officials to wear a sign or other identifier that includes their name or another unique score. So why – recently – one of us wrote a letter For the hepartment of police chief police chief in Ferguson chief, MO., to ensure that officials can be easily identified during the protests. This letter was sent to the Federal Government, in the middle of the Federal civil rights to the Ferguson Police Department, because it was ensured that “main component of transparency and subordinate is very important to continue to progress until the end of the investigation. Exceptions have long been made for scenarios such as undercover job – but it has been understood for a long-term rule, American implementation officials will introduce themselves and show their faces.
This basic democratic behavior is now dangerous. In February, official ice officials in the ragged rich attacks in an apartment complex of DenforOne of the early ages of Americans saw agents who hid their faces at work. In that March, the habit came to the widespread attention if Tufts University Doctoral Student Believe ozturk Taken with ice officers, one of them mask, while walking on a road in Somerville, Mass. Throughout the spring, Bystanster captures masked videos or fleinclothes Ice Enforcement Action from the beach to the beach, in small towns and large cities.
Ice says it allows that these officers can protect themselves from identifying and harassed or So attacked. Ice’s arguments are not just washed. They claim how many officers are attacked According to serious question. Although they are not, however, the law enforcement mask is simply unacceptable.
At the most basic level, Masked, Anonymous Officers presented a safety safety For both people arrested and agents. Understand people who are more likely to ignore the instructions or despite the quarrel with what they think they are abducted by a person who is not a law enforcement officer. If the intention is to take compliance, opponents opponent. It is far more secure to encourage cooperation by appealing to an authority to a person who carries the law – that almost always works. If people were arrested by the masked strangers without building their divine authority, who would blame them to fight?
Related, have a real and growing threat of Enforcement of law enforcement. There is a disturbing uptick of reported incidents of “Ice Impersonations,” in which private individuals are wearing like ice officials or authority for law enforcement. This month, the murderer of recent killing of a Minnesota law sends as a police officer. Other examples full of country. As shown at Princeton University in a New counselingIf law enforcement officials do not clearly identify themselves, more convenient for imposition to implement as law enforcement. Replicas of ice jackets have been A Amazon bestseller.
Most of the most common, mask refusal weakens legitimate law enforcement. Government agencies are important for effective police, and lehitimocy requires transparency and accountability. If officials keep their identities, it sends clear message that they do not appreciate the principles, and they are actually considered a threat.
Federal law currently requires specific clear measures of accountability Through federal officials carrying out, including officials should recognize themselves as officers and say that the person who has been arrested is, in fact, to withdraw the cause. That should be familiar with and be relief to those who are grateful to do not live in a secret state of police.
But those words are cold comfort if you have negotiated with someone in street clothes and a ski mask – without knowing whether they are responsible if they violate your rights. The complex items are still, not all immigration implementation actions that have included religious scholars to think of legitimate arrests – but rather without power.
Ice officials are not allowed to continue to implement our laws while keeping their identities. Transparency and accountability are different democracy from authority and legitimate law enforcement from the secret police to antidemocratic regimes. The images we see are not recognized for the United States, and should not be tolerated for anyone.
Barry Friedman is a Professor of New York University and author of “Disliked: Policing without permission.” Christy Lopez is a professor from the practice of Georgetown University School of Law. He leads police doing civil unit right to the right to Department of Justice from 2010-2017.
