LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Residents shared their concerns face-to-face with Louisville Metro Council and Louisville Metro Police (LMPD) on the reenacted 1983 mask ban ordinance, just one day after Mayor Craig Greenberg announced "common-sense" exemptions to the ban.
Greenberg announced the reinstatements of the decades-old ordinance following the fatal shooting that happened outside a PRP High School football game. LMPD says the suspects wore masks to conceal their identity.
"Obviously, in the last couple of years, our level of violent crime in the community has been an unprecedented levels, and what we are not willing to accept is the status quo," said LMPD Chief Paul Humphrey.
Humphrey says the city has seen 131 homicides so far this year, saying that prior to 2020, the city's record number of homicides was 117.
"We are looking at any tool possible to combat violent crime," Humphrey said.
One of those tools: reinstating the mask ban, which was loosened during COVID.
Some residents who attended the Public Safety Committee public comment Wednesday, don't see the ban as the best tool to combat crime.
"Sounds like one more level of adding a punishment to people it is not going to prevent crime," said one resident.
"I’m not willing to risk public health, personal health, Black lives, or my autonomy as a result of this ban," said another resident.
On Tuesday, Greenberg and Public Safety Chair Tammy Hawkins shared exemptions for those who still wish to wear a mask.
Some of the "common-sense" exemptions to the ban are:
- Protection of health and indoor mask wearing
- Anyone under the age of 14 or over the age of 60
- Religious reasons
- Holidays, celebrations, and situations where masks are customarily worn, like Halloween
"How can we put pressure on detectives to solve these crimes, when identity is being hidden?" asked Hawkins.
The councilwoman said ski masks in particular are what officials will be looking out for.
"Masks were also worn in the beginning as a fashion statement. Nike sells them. They're sold online. They're sold in the stores. They're sold everywhere. So my question, and my call to action for you guys is, how do we plan on involving youth so that it won't be a punishment?" asked Nicole Hayden.
While the mask ban is already in effect, Metro Council still needs to vote to accept the proposed exemptions.
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