A week after Columbus’ mask-wearing mandate went into effect, Assistant Police Chief Doran Johnson told Exchange Club members that the police department is trying its best to enforce the newly-implemented regulations — mostly through responding to business complaints.
The city council adopted a resolution on July 9 requiring all citizens above age 6 to wear a mask upon entering city-owned facilities, retail stores and other businesses such as restaurants, bars and gyms, except for when they are eating, drinking or exercising. Violations of the regulations could lead to a fine between $300 and $1,000.
From his observation, Johnson said most citizens have been mindful of wearing a mask before they enter indoor facilities since the resolution took effect. Instead of patrolling the city looking for violations of the mask requirement, he said the department mostly adopts a complaint-based approach and responds to calls from businesses where customers entered the area without a mask on.
By Thursday afternoon, the department had received 20 complaints and issued four citations, Police Chief Fred Shelton told The Dispatch.
Johnson told Exchange Club members gathered Thursday at Lion Hills Center that the department, which has 51 officers, simply does not have enough manpower to actively look for citizens not wearing masks.
“No police department in the world has that kind of manpower to send officers into businesses and stores,” he told The Dispatch. “We are doing the best we can.”
“When businesses call us,” Johnson told the Exchange Club Thursday, “we will respond to those businesses and see if we can help them alleviate some of those problems.”
To avoid escalations, Johnson said businesses are encouraged to contact the police instead of taking matters into their own hands. After receiving business complaints, officers called on scene will first use verbal directions to talk the customers into wearing a mask or leave the facility, he said. If the customers refuse to comply, the officers would then cite the customer for violations.
Johnson said citations for the violations are the “last thing we want to do,” but if the situation warrants it, officers must do it to uphold the law and protect public safety. Mask wearing, he said, is “the next-to-best thing” citizens can do to slow down the spread of the virus.
“People say, ‘We have our rights.’ It’s not just about my rights, but when my rights infringe on somebody else’s rights, that’s something we all have to be conscious of,” Johnson said. “Yes, we trust and we have faith in God, but faith is not foolishness.”
Yue Stella Yu was previously a reporter for The Dispatch.
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