Louisville leaders consider updates to face mask ban amid crimes by masked offenders | News from WDRB | wdrb.com

The ordinance was first enacted in the 1980s.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg has announced updates to the city's decades-old ordinance that bans face coverings in public places.

The original ordinance was enacted in 1983, but was not enforced during the pandemic, according to a news release from the Mayor's office. Now city leaders want to update the ordinance in the wake of numerous crimes recently committed by criminals taking advantage of the lack of enforcement.

As of Oct. 21, 123 violent crimes have committed by people this who wore masks to conceal their identities, according to the release, and 39 violent criminals were arrested for committing crimes while wearing a mask.

Councilwoman Tammy Hawkins is sponsoring the amendments. She said there is no intention to target certain groups "except those committing crimes" in an effort to "lessen their ability to do so."

Hawkins said the "issue is the rise of crime being felt among all of us because of the accessibility to easily conceal who they are. You want to know who's killing your kids, you want to know who's breaking in your homes, you want to know who's stealing your cars."

Based on feedback from the community, city leaders are suggesting the following amendments to the current ordinance:

The updates are designed to ensure that officers cannot stop people just for wearing a face mask, but must be based on "a totality of circumstances."

The proposed amendments will be presented during Louisville Metro Council's public safety meeting. It's scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Newburg Community Center at 4810 Exeter Avenue.

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