Marion County, Fla., Sheriff Billy Woods has forbidden his deputies from wearing masks. (Marion County Sheriff's Department /Marion County Sheriff's Department)
In an email to the sheriff’s department shared with The Washington Post, Woods disputed the idea that masks are a consensus approach to battling the pandemic.
“We can debate and argue all day of why and why not. The fact is, the amount of professionals that give the reason why we should, I can find the exact same amount of professionals that say why we shouldn’t,” Woods wrote in the email, which was first reported by the Ocala Star-Banner.
Woods is among the first law enforcement officials to outright ban masks for his deputies, though.
He issued the order as Marion County and its largest city, Ocala, are mired in a politically charged debate over a mandatory mask rule. The Ocala City Council passed an emergency mask order last week, but Mayor Kent Guinn (R) vetoed it, citing in part a refusal by Ocala Police Chief Greg Graham to enforce the rule.
“My chief and I have talked about it. We will never write a fine. We’re just not going to do it,” Guinn told the Sky 97.3 FM on Monday.
The city council plans to meet Wednesday to consider overriding the veto, the Star-Banner reported.
Woods, meanwhile, told his deputies on Tuesday to stop wearing masks in most cases. While officers can still mask up in areas including the courthouse and county jail, they must immediately take off the face coverings afterward. Deputies working special events are also forbidden from wearing masks, Woods said.
All visitors to sheriff’s department buildings will be asked to take off their masks in the lobby, Woods said, linking that rule to the ongoing protests against police brutality.
“In light of the current events when it comes to the sentiment and/or hatred toward law enforcement in our country today, this is being done to ensure there is clear communication and for identification purposes of any individual walking into a lobby,” he wrote.
The sheriff argued working mask-free hasn’t led to a spike of infections in his 900-person department. “Since the beginning of this pandemic the operation of this office has not changed and no wearing of masks has been put in place,” he said.