Long Island mask ban has impact in Nassau, police say – NBC New York

Authorities in Nassau County arrested a man over the weekend in connection with the new mask ban. It is believed to be the first case in which charges have been filed for violating the law. It also shows that the ban is working, they say.

Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman signed the controversial law on August 15, which bans the wearing of face masks in public places except in cases of religious, health or cultural necessity. The first ban of its kind in the United States is intended to increase public safety. Supporters said it would prevent violent protesters from concealing their identities.

According to investigators, officers responded to reports of a suspicious man walking eastbound on Spindle Road in Levittown on Sunday evening, dressed in black and wearing a face mask. Upon further investigation, the 18-year-old continued to act suspiciously while reportedly attempting to conceal a large bulge in his waistband.

Suspicion of a face mask prompted officers to search the man. They say they found a 14-inch knife on him. The Hicksville man was charged with illegal possession of a firearm, obstruction of government administration and violating the local mask transparency law. He was arraigned on Monday.

Nassau County police said they were not aware of any other violations of the Mask Transparency Act. No injuries were reported.

“In order to conduct these investigations, we need to expose them,” a spokesman said.

Israeli lawmaker Howard Kopel said the measure was introduced in response to “anti-Semitic incidents, often carried out by masked individuals” since the start of the recent war between Israel and Hamas on October 7.

All twelve Republicans in the House voted for the measure, while seven Democrats abstained.

The county legislators acted after Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in June that she was considering a ban on face masks on the New York City subway. No concrete plan has been announced to implement such a ban, which, like the measure in Nassau, was floated in response to a surge in mask protesters.

Nassau's bill makes wearing a face covering to conceal one's identity in public a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine.

Exempt from the measure are people who wear a mask for health or safety reasons, “for religious or cultural reasons, or for the peaceful celebration of a holiday or similar religious or cultural event where masks or face coverings are customarily worn.”

Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, Democratic minority leader in Nassau County, called the law a waste of taxpayer money.

“This bill will be overturned in court, further tarnishing Blakeman's already losing litigation record,” DeRiggi-Whitton said in a statement when he signed the bill. “It is deeply disappointing that Blakeman and his Republican colleagues ignored any opportunity for bipartisan compromise or even considered the Democrats' bill – a bill that upholds the rule of law, provides a fairer treatment of citizens, and provides harsher penalties for actual violators.”