All but 19 states in the US have “mask mandates” covering who and where citizens must wear face masks. In California, all individuals, including babies, are required to wear masks. In Colorado, the mandate applies to those who are 10 and older, according to Heavy.com. In New York, failure to comply with the mask mandate carries a $50 fine. The sanction in New Mexico carries a $100 fine.
Citizens wearing appropriate face masks in the face of the coronavirus is not the issue, enforcing the mask mandates is. Complicating the enforcement issue is the requirement in law enforcement agencies and organizations for all officers to wear masks. The question arises: If there is a mask mandate for citizens in a particular state, and a mandate for law enforcement personnel to wear masks there, as well, what happens when the enforcers are breaking the mask rules?
In June, NYPD law enforcement officers were observed mask-less at a protest of the George Floyd death in Minneapolis. It goes without saying that the six-foot social distancing guideline was not followed by protestors or police. One protestor reportedly told a Time reporter that the police were “blatantly snubbing us” by flouting the mask mandate. The New York Times reported that many law enforcement personnel at a June 11, 2020 protest in Brooklyn were not wearing masks. Besides the chanting for racial equality, justice, and Black Lives Matter, protestors also chanted, “Put on your masks,” to the police.
An August 7, 2020 article in Rolling Stone mentioned the Twitter site, @NYPDMaskWatch was keeping busy. Tweeters seemed to have plenty of evidence that many law enforcement personnel were not wearing masks when, ironically, their job has been enforcing social distancing.
Recently, a college student confronted two officers in a New York City subway platform. The young man questioned why the officers wore no face coverings. One of the officers cut that conversation short by calling the student a “male Karen.” The pejorative term, “Karen,” hit the streets as a reference to “white entitlement,” according to Scopes. A Karen is “a label for a white woman who had used her privilege to threaten and try to intimidate a black man by calling the police.” In other words, as the officers on scene on the platform were there to ensure public safety and enforce laws, to make an issue of those officers being mask-less was beyond petty.
One of the officers on that subway platform did tell the young questioner that as long as he maintained the six-foot social distancing rule, he didn’t have to wear a mask. If that distance shortened, the officer reportedly said he would put on a mask.
For law enforcement personnel who do not wear masks say they do so in order to communicate more clearly with citizens. Some cite peer pressure as the reason they don’t wear masks. Still other officers don’t wear masks because they believe masks are ineffective in preventing exposure to COVID 19, according to Marginal Revolution.
State mask mandates are not discretionary. Each state has its rules and age boundaries; some states impose fines on the public for not wearing masks in areas or environments that require them. In all states, municipalities, and outlying areas, law enforcement officers are the enforcers of state mandates, whether or not they wear masks themselves.
Whether it’s the heat, peer pressure, shortage of masks, or other reasons, many law enforcement officers believe their hands are already full with their “protect and serve” duties. That is especially true in states and cities where protests have occurred and may occur in the future, not to mention the “anti-cop” sentiment pervading the country.
Enforcing a mask mandate that carries a $50 fine requires the same procedures as enforcing a speed limit that carries a fine of $50. Abiding by a mask mandate may fly in the face of enforcing laws that protect people and property.
time.com/5849175/police-masks-protests
www.nytimes.com/2020/06/11/nyregion/nypd-face…
https://nypost.com/2020/09/16/nypd-cops-call-subway-rider-a-male-karen-over-mask-question/
mediarightnews.com/nupd-offucer-shuts-down-male-karent-who-questions-him-and-anotherf-officer-for-not-wearing-masks
How the Name ‘Karen’ Became a Stand-In for White Entitlement
