Open letter of complaint to the ACLU and other civil libertarians seeking a legal action to stop on-duty LAPD officers from wearing masks while in uniform and on patrol in the lower-income Downtown community often referred to as Skid Row:
Our website, hollywoodhighlands.org, has been made aware of complaints by Skid Row residents concerning LAPD officers wearing masks that conceal their identity while patrolling the area.
Can Mayor Villaraigosa present evidence of a single law enforcement officer contracting TB from on-the-job exposure in L.A. history?
The LAPD’s un-official excuse is:
The masks are necessary to protect cops from a brand new strain of perhaps drug-resistant TB found only in Los Angeles.
Where are the police-masking guidelines? Have the Mayor or City Council been briefed on this extraordinary situation? Has the CDC signed off on this drastic step?
This LAPD action is a clear First Amendment Constitutional violation.
Mr. Walsh may be contacted at hollywoodhighlands.org
