This week, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Eleanor Holmes Norton will introduce the ‘Law Enforcement Identification Transparency Act of 20 20,’ from Harlem to Hawaii.
The law will require all federal law enforcement officers to identify their name, agency and badge number on their uniform at all times while on duty or serving the public.
This bill follows multiple reports of unidentified law enforcement at public demonstrations and a recent Nation report that revealed that many of these law enforcement officers were with federal agencies never intended or trained to patrol civilian populations or public demonstrations.
“Secret police snatching Americans off of street corners and shooting rubber bullets at peaceful demonstrators is something we would expect to see in an authoritarian state, not outside the White House. Yet, that is our current reality,”
“Secret police snatching Americans off of street corners and shooting rubber bullets at peaceful demonstrators is something we would expect to see in an authoritarian state, not outside the White House. Yet, that is our current reality,” said Ocasio-Cortez in a statement.
“This bill will increase accountability and oversight for law enforcement. Currently, law enforcement can violate an American’s First Amendment right with complete anonymity. If an officer violates their agency’s policies, their victim should have the ability to report them to their agency and demand accountability.”
The bill also conditions federal funding for local and state law enforcement on the inclusion of identifying information on their uniforms.
The bill also conditions federal funding for local and state law enforcement on the inclusion of identifying information on their uniforms. Additionally, the bill requires each federal law enforcement agency to implement a policy that is in accordance with the bill’s outlined goals and requires data reporting on compliance with that policy.
The full bill text is available here.
Photo credit (l to r): Eleanor Holmes Norton and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
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