Yuma County Sheriff says deputies will not enforce mask requirement
Sheriff Wilmot says the county has not given his office enough resources
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot says his deputies will not enforce the mask requirement put in place by the Yuma County Board of Supervisors.
Sheriff Wilmot released a statement declining enforcement just hours after Board Chairman Tony Reyes signed a proclamation mandating masks or face coverings in all public spaces, indoor and outdoor.
[Related Story: Yuma County makes face masks mandatory in public]
In his statement, Wilmot says he recognizes the need for coronavirus mitigation, and agrees face masks should be part of the plan. However, he says he simply doesn't have the manpower to monitor all the people in the county.
"...I was not consulted by the Yuma County Administrator nor the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors regarding the enforceability of this proclamation and so I must inform you that my Office does not have the resources to respond to calls for enforcement action regarding the failure to wear face coverings."
Statement from Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot
The Sheriff goes on to say he would have the staff had the county met his funding requests:
"Every year since I took office, I have petitioned the Board of Supervisors for additional Deputies to maintain public safety in Yuma County. As our County grows, so too should the ability of my Office to meet the growing demand for law enforcement services. Unfortunately, those repeated requests for additional manpower have been denied in all but the absolute rarest of circumstances.
Therefore, I will be unable to conduct any enforcement of this proclamation and will not divert manpower from emergency services to conduct face covering enforcement."
Statement from Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot
Wilmot goes on to ask the people of Yuma County to voluntarily comply with the mask requirement, and all CDC guidelines for curbing the spread of coronavirus.
The Sheriff finishes his statement by instructing the public to contact Chairman Tony Reyes, or County Administrator Susan Thorpe directly with complaints about non-compliance.
