Butler County sheriff proposes law that prohibits disguises

ajc.com

An Ohio sheriff wants to unveil potential criminals.

Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones on Friday sent a letter to state Rep. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, proposing legislation that prevents people from concealing their identity by covering their face or a portion of their face with a mask or hood.

"I believe a law such as this will deter those contemplating criminal activity from 'hiding' their identity, and give the general public the ability to quickly identify a potential threat by persons who are deliberately concealing their identity," he stated in his letter to the lawmaker.

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Jones said the proposal would not apply to wearing a mask, hood or device for religious beliefs, medical necessity, professions where it is deemed necessary, or to protect from the elements.

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The source of this anti-mask law, specifically in Ohio, derives from implementing a method to combat Ku Klux Klan gatherings. More recently, it has been used to bar concealment by protesters.

When past protests turned dangerous -- such as  the blocking of the Berkeley, California talk   -- masked protesters' identities were hidden from officers violence erupted and fires set, according to reports.

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