Nassau County, New York, has passed a law banning excessive mask wearing in public places.
Nassau County Mayor Bruce Blakeman signed the ban on Wednesday, codifying a law passed by the state Legislature last week.
“What we saw was a lot of people wearing masks going into stores and shoplifting, and it was very difficult to apprehend them because we didn’t have the ability to identify them,” Blakeman told Fox News Digital.
New York County Passes Mask Ban
Nassau County Mayor Bruce Blakeman speaks at a press conference in Mineola, New York. (AP Photo/Philippe Marcelo)
“So we’re going to crack down on that, and one of the ways we’re going to crack down on that is by identifying who is committing these criminal acts and making sure we arrest them,” he said.
Nassau County lawmakers last week approved a bill that would make it a crime to wear a mask in public, with exceptions for people who cover their face for health, religious or cultural reasons. Backers of the bill in the Republican-majority Long Island county say it would prevent violent protesters from hiding their identities.
Under the law, using a mask to conceal one’s identity is punishable by up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine.
Asked how police would determine if a mask was being used without justification, Blakeman told Fox News Digital that police would “If there is reasonable suspicion that someone is using a mask to commit a criminal act, police will stop and question that person to determine what their intentions were.”
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“This is about people wearing masks to commit acts of violence, harassment, shoplifting, rob banks. Those are the people we want to stop. Whether they’re white or black or any other person of color is not the determining factor,” Blakeman said. “What is determining factor is whether the mask is being used to conceal their identity because they are trying to commit a crime.”
The bill was introduced by Republican 10th District Rep. Mazie Pilipu, who previously told Fox News Digital in a phone interview that lawmakers “heard loud and clear” people’s desire to feel safe in their communities.
Protesters gathered at a public hearing on the bill on August 5, and one protester was dragged out for disrupting proceedings and arrested on suspicion of obstructing government affairs.
“I respect freedom of speech,” said Pilip, who ran for Congress in a special election earlier this year but lost to Rep. Tom Suozzi. “I think we encourage people to come together, rally, and voice their concerns. That’s what’s great about our country.”
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Nassau County Mayor Bruce Blakeman speaks in front of the entrance to Columbia University occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters in New York in April 2024. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)
He continues, “However, [are] “They hide their faces and attack others, spread hate speech and encourage others to do the same. We will not tolerate that.”
The vote by the Nassau County Council on Monday was along party lines, with 12 members voting in favor and seven abstaining.
Democratic Rep. Arnold Drucker said before the vote that the bill “oversteps the line and could undermine First Amendment rights.”
The New York Civil Liberties Union has also expressed deep concerns about the bill, arguing that it poses a threat to public safety.
