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A law banning the superfluous wearing of masks in public has been signed into law in Nassau County, New York.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed the ban into law on Wednesday, codifying the legislation passed by state lawmakers last week.
"What we're seeing is a lot of people were going into stores wearing a mask, shoplifting. And then it was very difficult to apprehend them because we didn't have an ability to identify them," Blakeman told Fox News Digital.
NEW YORK COUNTY PASSES FACE MASK BAN
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, at a podium, speaks during a news conference in Mineola, New York. (AP Photo/Philip Marcelo)
He continued, "So, we crack down on that. And one of the ways that we need to crack down on it is to be able to identify who's committing these criminal acts and to make sure that those people are arrested."
Lawmakers in Nassau County approved a bill last week criminalizing the wearing of face masks in public places, with exemptions for people who cover their faces for health reasons or religious or cultural purposes. Supporters of the bill in the Republican-controlled Long Island county say it would prevent violent protesters from hiding their identity.
The law makes the use of a mask to conceal one's identity punishable with up to a year in jail and a fine of $1,000.
Asked about how police will determine whether a mask is being used without reasonable cause, Blakeman told Fox News Digital that if police "have a reasonable suspicion that someone is using the mask to engage in a criminal activity… they would stop and question those individuals and make a determination as to what their intentions were."
"This is a question of people who wear masks to engage in violent acts, to engage in harassment, to shoplift, to rob banks. Those are the people we want to stop. And whether they're white, black or any other color, is not a determinative factor," Blakeman said. "The factors are whether or not, that mask is being used to hide their identity because they are about to engage in nefarious activity."
The bill was introduced by Republican District 10 legislator Mazi Pilip, who previously told Fox News Digital over the phone that lawmakers heard residents "loud and clear" when they expressed their desire to feel safe in their communities.
A public hearing regarding the bill on Aug. 5 drew protesters, one of whom was dragged out for disrupting the proceedings and arrested for obstructing governmental administration.
"I respect the 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, to rally, to express their concern. That's the beautiful thing about our country."
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Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman speaks in front of the entrance of Columbia University, occupied by pro-Palestinian protesters in New York on April 2024. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)
He continued, "However, there is no way we will support people who [are] hiding their faces and basically attacking or spreading hate speech and encouraging others to do so. We are not going to allow that."
Monday's vote by the Nassau County Legislature was along party lines, with 12 in agreement and seven legislators abstaining.
Democratic Legislator Arnold Drucker said before the vote that the bill "overstepped and could be detrimental to First Amendment rights."
The New York Civil Liberties Union has also expressed deep concern about the bill, claiming it is a risk to citizens' safety.
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