Gov. Andrew Cuomo slammed New York law enforcement Wednesday for ignoring the mask-wearing mandate and refusing to enforce the 10-person cap on indoor gatherings to help prevent coronavirus spread.
“A lot of police officers don’t wear a mask… well, how are you then supposed to enforce other people wearing a mask when they see you not wearing a mask?” the governor said.
“I violate the law but you can’t. No! nobody said you were above the law,” Cuomo added.
NYPD officers have documented over and over going mask-less, sparking an internal memo threatening discipline for those who ignore the mandate.
Cuomo’s strong stance was in reaction to a few county sheriffs in western New York, where cases are surging, telling their residents they won’t enforce the indoor cap of 10 people during Thanksgiving.
“I don’t believe that person is a law enforcement officer,” Cuomo quipped.
“I don’t want a law enforcement officer who says, ‘I’m only enforcing the law that I like or think should be enforced.'”
On Tuesday, Police Commissioner Dermot Shea told NY1 the NYPD would not break up indoor gatherings over the state limit, which health officials say has been the leading cause of the recent coronavirus surge.
The comments come a day after The Post reported the hands-off approach from MTA officers and the NYPD.
Cops in NYC have issued just 15 fines since the mandate for mask-wearing went into effect on the NYC transit system in September.
As of last month, no NYPD officers had been disciplined for improper mask-wearing. The department could not immediately provide updated numbers.