LAPD Says No to Enforcing Newsom’s Mask Law

McDonnell’s plain warning

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell told local reporters that his officers will not try to police federal agents’ face coverings. He said the department’s job at a scene is to calm things down, not make them worse. Sending local police to stop another armed agency over a misdemeanor could spark a dangerous confrontation. That, he said, is not worth the political point it might score.

Why enforcement would be messy

Think of two armed teams on a street, each with different rules. Now imagine one team tries to ticket the other for a minor violation. McDonnell argued that approach makes no tactical sense. It risks creating confusion, escalating crowds, and putting officers and the public in harm’s way. Practical policing, he said, means avoiding actions that increase the chance of violence.

What the new law says

The state law signed last year makes it a misdemeanor for on-duty officers to wear masks or disguises, with narrow exceptions for undercover work or required protective gear. Governor Gavin Newsom framed the bill as a response to concerns about masked agents during immigration operations. The law is meant to force visibility, but visibility can come with trade offs when safety is at stake.

Federal agents say they have reasons

Federal immigration officers and their defenders say some face coverings protect families and reduce the risk of doxxing and threats. The federal side calls the practice undesirable but necessary in some cases. That reality puts local leaders in a bind. The state can pass rules, but local chiefs must weigh those rules against the immediate safety of officers and civilians.

Where this leaves Los Angeles

With the LAPD declining to enforce the rule, the law has little bite in the city. That could invite court fights or political grandstanding, while local leaders focus on tactics not headlines. The result is the familiar one: a law written in the capital, and a safety decision made on the street by people who have to answer for the outcome.

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