Inability to enforce mask mandate frustrates some Hoosiers
GREENWOOD, Ind. (WISH) — Some business owners are frustrated the enforcement of the statewide mask mandate has been left to them.
While health officials are frustrated there’s no way to force compliance.
Both are also worried one of their employees will get assaulted if they approach the wrong person.
The sign on the door at Roscoe’s Tacos in Greenwood is pretty clear: A mask is required to order food inside unless you have a medical condition and cannot wear one. No mask is required while eating.
During the dinner rush Wednesday, both employees and customers wore theirs.
“I believe it’s a good idea,” said owner Roscoe Townsend.
But for the few who have come in without one, he’s at a loss.
“What am I supposed to do? The government does not give me authority,” Townsend said.
Townsend said, by now, everyone knows about the mandate and he doesn’t feel like he should be forced to make sure they have a state-approved exemption. Plus, he doesn’t want to risk getting punched or assaulted just for asking as has happened in other places around the country.
“This mandate and the enforcement has been laid upon the people least-suited to deal with it,” Townsend said.
“It’s frustrating,” added Betsy Swearingen, director of the Johnson County Health Department.
She said hundreds of calls have poured in from people since the mandate went into effect July 27.
Her staff is scrambling to keep up, either by calling or going to businesses directly.
The department followed up on a complaint Wednesday at Greenwood Park Mall and found four places in the food court where employees were not wearing masks.
As her staff have approached people, she said they have refused to wear masks.
“Absolutely they do,” Swearingen said. If they do, “then we keep asking.”
In the case of the mall, her staff has the power to issue fines because it’s a food establishment. However, no fines have been issued yet in Johnson County.
But if it’s not connected to food, her staff doesn’t have the authority to do anything.
“The only thing I wish is that we had some teeth to it, that there was some sort of civil fining process that was statewide and consistent.”
Marion County so far is the only place which such a system, summoning the first person to court on Thursday and announcing Monday, it could start fining violators $1,000.
“It will be interesting to see if it works,” Swearingen said.
Meanwhile, Townsend fears he has lost business from people complaining online that a customer in his restaurant wasn’t wearing a mask. It’s especially frustrating since he just reopened in late July because of popular demand.
As for the mask mandate, “I am not at liberty to say what I think should be done because it’s not my responsibility,” he said.
Swearingen said keeping up with mask complaints is a time consuming task. Just one complaint can involve a 30-minute drive. It’s resulted in six people in her department, that’s one-third of the office staff, handling complaints at least part-time.