The Sacramento Bee:
June 19, 1:00 p.m. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday it will not enforce California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s statewide order that requires all Californians to wear face coverings in common and public indoor spaces and outdoors when physical distancing is not possible.
“The Sheriff’s Office recommends that everyone continue exercising safe practices, including wearing masks pursuant to the Governor’s recommendation, especially around those in high-risk groups,” the sheriff’s office announced in a statement released Friday.
“However, due to the minor nature of the offense, the potential for negative outcomes during enforcement encounters, and anticipating the various ways in which the order may be violated, it would be inappropriate for deputies to criminally enforce the Governor’s mandate.”
Instead, deputies will be operating “in an educational capacity” — an enforcement stance that the office has maintained for months with regard to social distancing protocols, even as various health orders locally and statewide have come down in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
