Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Mims Won't Ask Deputies to Enforce Newsom Face Mask Order
TLBBHMAP3-U010ALB5ANM-348f959abae2-512-300x300-1
By Jim Jakobs, Digital Producer
Published 5 years ago on
June 22, 2020

Share

Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims says her deputies will not enforce Gov. Gavin Newsom’s face covering requirement.

“Not only do we not have the resources, I don’t think that’s appropriate,” Mims told GV Wire℠ by phone on Monday morning.

“Not only do we not have the resources, I don’t think that’s appropriate.”Margaret Mims, Fresno County sheriff

6,000 Square Miles to Cover

Mims says she has 20 deputies available at any given time to cover 6,000 square miles of the county. She went over some of the department’s most recent calls for service.

“So we’ve got increasing violence in San Joaquin,” said Mims. “We had a domestic violence call in Auberry where the victim was stabbed several times in the back.”

Probing Medical Questions

“How many deputies are you going to use to ask every individual not wearing a mask if they’re hard of hearing, if they’re mentally ill, do they have asthma, or do they have a medical condition?” Mims said.

Mims is worried her deputies will have to ask probing medical questions to determine if someone falls into the exempt category laid out by the governor’s order.

Face Covering Exemptions

According to the State order, the following individuals are exempt from wearing a face-covering:

  1. Persons age 2 years or under. These very young children must not wear a face-covering because of the risk of suffocation.
  2. Persons with a medical condition, mental health condition, or disability that prevents wearing a face covering. This includes persons with a medical condition for whom wearing a face covering could obstruct breathing or who are unconscious, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to remove a face covering without assistance.
  3. Persons who are hearing impaired, or communicating with a person who is hearing impaired, where the ability to see the mouth is essential for communication.
  4. Persons for whom wearing a face covering would create a risk to the person related to their work, as determined by local, state, or federal regulators or workplace safety guidelines.
  5. Persons who are obtaining a service involving the nose or face for which temporary removal of the face-covering is necessary to perform the service.
  6. Persons who are seated at a restaurant or other establishment that offers food or beverage service, while they are eating or drinking, provided that they are able to maintain a distance of at least six feet away from persons who are not members of the same household or residence.
  7. Persons who are engaged in outdoor work or recreation such as swimming, walking, hiking, bicycling, or running, when alone or with household members, and when they are able to maintain a distance of at least six feet from others.
  8. Persons who are incarcerated. Prisons and jails, as part of their mitigation plans, will have specific guidance on the wearing of face coverings or masks for both inmates and staff.
[covid-19-tracker]

Other Sheriff’s Offices

KTLA television reports that sheriffs in Orange, Sacramento, Tulare, and Calaveras counties will not enforce the order.

Like Mims, the other sheriffs cite the minor nature of the offense or a lack of resources.

“It is each person’s responsibility to wear a face covering, and follow other recommended safeguards, in order to stop the spread of COVID-19; it is not law enforcement’s responsibility to enforce it,” Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes told KTLA.

State Order Document

You can read the state mask order below.



CA Guidance for Face Coverings 06 18 2020 (Text)

[activecampaign form=25]

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Greg Cronin Fired as Coach of Anaheim Ducks After 2 Seasons

DON'T MISS

Spring Allergies Are Back. Here’s How to Check Pollen Levels and Keep From Sneezing

DON'T MISS

US Small Manufacturers Hope to Benefit From Tariffs, but Some Worry About Uncertainty

DON'T MISS

Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kill More Than 90 People in 48 Hours, Palestinians Say

DON'T MISS

US and Iran Advance Nuclear Talks to Expert Level After Rome Meeting

DON'T MISS

Putin Announces an Easter Ceasefire as Russia and Ukraine Swap Hundreds of POWs

DON'T MISS

NBA Playoff Guide: Who Plays When, How to Watch, What the Odds Are

DON'T MISS

Americans Haven’t Found a Satisfying Alternative to Religion

DON'T MISS

Supreme Court Blocks, for Now, New Deportations Under 18th Century Wartime Law

DON'T MISS

Senator Slams ‘Margaritagate’ Stunt During Deportee Visit

UP NEXT

Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kill More Than 90 People in 48 Hours, Palestinians Say

UP NEXT

US and Iran Advance Nuclear Talks to Expert Level After Rome Meeting

UP NEXT

Putin Announces an Easter Ceasefire as Russia and Ukraine Swap Hundreds of POWs

UP NEXT

NBA Playoff Guide: Who Plays When, How to Watch, What the Odds Are

UP NEXT

Senator Slams ‘Margaritagate’ Stunt During Deportee Visit

UP NEXT

Fresno County Pushes Valley to Highest Rates of Domestic Violence Calls in CA

UP NEXT

LA Rams Can Bolster a Contending Roster With Another Strong Showing in NFL Draft

UP NEXT

Mijo Proves Love Is Blind and That One Eye Is More Than Enough

UP NEXT

Hey PG&E Customers, Get Ready for New ‘Transaction Fees’

UP NEXT

Clovis Reconsiders Recycling Vote. Will a Campaign Contribution Matter?

Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kill More Than 90 People in 48 Hours, Palestinians Say

50 minutes ago

US and Iran Advance Nuclear Talks to Expert Level After Rome Meeting

53 minutes ago

Putin Announces an Easter Ceasefire as Russia and Ukraine Swap Hundreds of POWs

57 minutes ago

NBA Playoff Guide: Who Plays When, How to Watch, What the Odds Are

1 hour ago

Americans Haven’t Found a Satisfying Alternative to Religion

1 hour ago

Supreme Court Blocks, for Now, New Deportations Under 18th Century Wartime Law

1 hour ago

Senator Slams ‘Margaritagate’ Stunt During Deportee Visit

2 hours ago

Fresno County Pushes Valley to Highest Rates of Domestic Violence Calls in CA

2 hours ago

LA Rams Can Bolster a Contending Roster With Another Strong Showing in NFL Draft

2 hours ago

Mijo Proves Love Is Blind and That One Eye Is More Than Enough

3 hours ago

Greg Cronin Fired as Coach of Anaheim Ducks After 2 Seasons

ANAHEIM — Greg Cronin was fired Saturday as coach of the Anaheim Ducks after two seasons, general manager Pat Verbeek announced. “He i...

41 minutes ago

41 minutes ago

Greg Cronin Fired as Coach of Anaheim Ducks After 2 Seasons

43 minutes ago

Spring Allergies Are Back. Here’s How to Check Pollen Levels and Keep From Sneezing

47 minutes ago

US Small Manufacturers Hope to Benefit From Tariffs, but Some Worry About Uncertainty

50 minutes ago

Israeli Strikes on Gaza Kill More Than 90 People in 48 Hours, Palestinians Say

53 minutes ago

US and Iran Advance Nuclear Talks to Expert Level After Rome Meeting

57 minutes ago

Putin Announces an Easter Ceasefire as Russia and Ukraine Swap Hundreds of POWs

1 hour ago

NBA Playoff Guide: Who Plays When, How to Watch, What the Odds Are

1 hour ago

Americans Haven’t Found a Satisfying Alternative to Religion

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend