Chicago alderman pushes harsher penalties for crimes committed wearing
facemasks
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[July 05, 2024]
By Glenn Minnis | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) – With violent crime like robberies sharply on the
rise over the past year, a Chicago city council member is sponsoring an
ordinance that would mean enhanced penalties for individuals convicted
of crimes while wearing masks.
Just four years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic, masks were required by
local officials. Illinois’ indoor mask mandate was lifted in February
2022.
Overall, violent crimes were up by nearly 8% over the last year, with
robberies, including an influx of coordinated sprees, accounting for
more than 37% of all reported incidents. At the same time, arrest rates
for such crimes dropped to a five-year low of just 10.8%. Criminals in
some of the crimes captured on surveillance video wore masks.
The Democratic National Convention is just weeks away from descending on
the city’s downtown area with an expectation of large protests. The
convention begins Aug. 19.
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Chicago Ald. Raymond Lopez has a proposal to enhance penalties for those
wearing masks committing crimes that would apply to both serious crime
and minor infractions such as trespassing and blocking the public way.
“Everyone wearing masks while taking over communities is what political
extremists want to protect. Not you or your neighbors,” Lopez wrote on
X, formerly Twitter.
Not all council members are embracing Lopez’s plan as the best course of
action.
“It has its merits, but at the same time this is something that's really
going to affect the Black and brown community,” Ald. Chris Taliaferro
told The Center Square. “We're looking at enhancing penalties and
enhancing punishment when it comes down to the youth or adults in Black
and brown communities.”
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Surveillance video of an armed robbery suspect in Chicago - Chicago
Police / YouTube
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City watchdog People’s Fabric raised similar concerns, adding
“history has shown us that enhanced penalties like this are always
going to be enforced against activists and people of color. The
scope of his ordinance is any kind of ‘crime,’ which includes minor
violations often weaponized against protesters."
With his plan calling for 10 days of imprisonment, a $5,000 fine and
up to 129 hours of community service on top of the standard penalty
for the crime, Lopez touts it as a “common sense” measure, adding
only those engaging in wrongdoing need be concerned. The veteran
council member adds he plans to seek a hearing on the measure at the
City Council’s next public safety committee meeting.
At the same time, Taliaferro, a former CPD detective, openly
questions if his colleague is even on the right track to have any
chance of turning his words into law.
“I certainly believe that this is something that he needs to be
talking to our state legislators about rather than the city
council,” he said. “Is he referring to violating a city ordinance
while wearing a mask or is he talking about violating the state
crime? We don't handle those issues in the City Council. If he's
looking to elevate a crime based off of aggravated circumstances or
wearing a mask, that's a matter that's going to go before the
General Assembly.”
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