One Northeast Alabama sheriff is “strongly encouraging” people to use face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic per Gov. Kay Ivey’s statewide order but says deputies won’t be issuing citations for violations, while a neighboring sheriff isn’t weighing in on the matter yet.
Ivey issued the order Wednesday after the state reported a pandemic high of 40 deaths in a single day. The order went into effect Thursday afternoon for anyone older than 6 who is in public and within 6 feet of someone who’s not a relative, according to Associated Press reports.
In Jackson County, deputies will not answer complaint calls for people who aren’t wearing a mask, but if the mask issue leads across any other criminal lines an arrest could be possible on those charges, according to officials there. DeKalb County authorities declined to say anything about enforcement.
“Obviously, we don’t want to go against the governor’s order, but we just don’t have the manpower for answering calls on masks,” Jackson County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Rocky Harnen said Friday.
As far as the ability of law enforcement to prosecute mask violations, Harnen said the department’s research shows the governor’s order is on the books and violation of it is a misdemeanor and could be prosecuted in court.