New York County bans wearing masks in public for fear of crime

In Nassau County, New York, a law was signed banning the unnecessary wearing of masks in public.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed the ban on Wednesday, putting into effect legislation passed by state lawmakers last week.

“We're seeing a lot of people going into stores wearing masks and shoplifting. And then it's been very difficult to arrest them because we can't identify them,” Blakeman told Fox News Digital.

NEW YORK COUNTY PASSES FACE MASK BAN

He continued: “So we are cracking down on this. And one of the ways we need to crack down on this is to identify the perpetrators of these crimes and make sure those people are arrested.”

Lawmakers in Nassau County passed a bill last week that criminalizes the wearing of face masks in public places, with exceptions for people who cover their faces for health or religious or cultural reasons. Supporters of the bill in Republican-dominated Long Island County say it would prevent violent protesters from concealing their identities.

According to the law, wearing a mask to conceal one's identity can be punished with up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine.

When asked how police will determine if a mask is being used without a valid reason, Blakeman told Fox News Digital that if police “If there is reasonable suspicion that someone is using the mask for a criminal act, they would stop those people, question them and find out what their intentions were.”

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“This is about people wearing masks to commit acts of violence, to harass people, to shoplift, to rob banks. These are the people we want to stop. And whether they're white, black or any other color of skin is not a determining factor,” Blakeman said. “The determining factor is whether the mask is being used to conceal their identity because they're about to commit nefarious acts.”

The bill was introduced by 10th District Republican Rep. Mazi Pilip, who previously told Fox News Digital by phone that lawmakers were listening to citizens “loud and clear” when they expressed their desire to feel safe in their communities.

Protests broke out at a public hearing on the bill on August 5. One of them was dragged out for disrupting the hearing and arrested for obstructing government work.

“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, gather and express their concerns. That's the beauty of our country.”

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Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman speaks at the entrance to Columbia University, which was occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters in New York, in April 2024. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

He continued: “However, we will not support people who [are] They hide their faces and basically attack or spread hate speech and encourage others to do so. We will not allow that.”

The vote in the Nassau County legislature on Monday was along party lines, with 12 representatives voting in favor and seven abstaining.

Democratic Representative Arnold Drucker said before the vote that the bill “goes too far and could adversely affect First Amendment rights.”

The New York Civil Liberties Union also expressed deep concern about the bill, claiming it posed a threat to citizens' safety.