Residents interviewed for this article said it was at times unclear which agencies’ officers were stopping them. Across the city, reporters have witnessed officers patrolling without badges or uniforms that identify their agencies.
When law enforcement officers do not identify their agencies while making stops, residents can’t demand accountability, civil rights advocates say. “This is way more than a police operation,” said Josh Spickler, executive director of Just City, a local criminal justice reform organization. “This is a power grab and a rapid erosion of your civil liberties.”