Bossier Sheriff and Police Detail Enforcement of Mask Mandate

Let's face it, we live in a litigious society. Hmm, there should be a law about making more laws. I digress. But, while we're not facing another "law," Governor John Bel Edwards' statewide "Mask Mandate" to combat the spread of COVID-19, is pretty much the same, and it's added to the strain of an already overwhelmed law enforcement system.

In response to that, we've received word from Bossier Sheriff Julian Whittington and Bossier City Mayor Lo Walker of how the parish and city plan to enforce the mitigation measures.

“We certainly encourage our residents to take necessary safety precautions to help slow the spread of the number of cases of COVID-19 in the state of Louisiana,” said Sheriff Whittington and Mayor Walker. “Law enforcement officers with the Bossier Sheriff’s Office and Bossier City Police Department will only become involved when a customer refuses to leave a place of business after requested to do so by management,” emphasized Sheriff Whittington and Bossier City Police Chief Shane McWilliams.

So, in my opinion, they're obviously encouraging all citizens to wear a mask, but they won't be playing "Hall Monitor" and will only become involved if a "mask-less" customer refuses to leave a place of business after being asked to leave and thus it becomes a "trespassing" issue.

Louisiana Revised Statute, R.S. 14:63.3  details the law of “Entry on or remaining in places or on land after being forbidden.”

The additional measures in the Governor’s Proclamation Number 89 issued July 11  include:

1. Prohibiting bars from allowing on-premise consumption of food or drinks;
2. Limiting crowd sizes to no more than 50 people (with exceptions for essential businesses and churches); and
3. Requiring face coverings to cover the nose and mouth when inside a commercial establishment or public building or space, whether indoor or outdoor (with exceptions where strict social distancing of six feet can be maintained, children under the age of 8, certain medical conditions, eating, communicating with hearing impaired, speaking for broadcast or to an audience, and identifying yourself).

The additional measures are added to Phase 2, which was declared in Proclamation Number 83 on June 25 and runs through July 24.