PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A bill to ban ski masks in public places in Philadelphia became law this week.
The bill passed with overwhelming support in City Council in November and Mayor Jim Kenney let it become law Thursday without his signature, citing a high risk of selective enforcement against young people.
Councilman Anthony Phillips was the lead sponsor of the bill and spoke on the day of the vote.
“Too many seniors have told me on the way to public places that they have felt unsafe as folks have hid their identities and created a sense of anxiety in the midst of historical crime levels,” Phillips said.
The Juvenile Law Center strongly opposes it.
Staff Attorney Vic Wiener says this bill will potentially cause increased harassment of young Black men.
“By criminalizing the basic existence of people in public with particular clothing, this creates a justification for police to stop, question, and frisk people who they might not otherwise have any legal justification to stop,” Wiener said.
Violators are subject to a $250 fine, which Wiener says may also create unnecessary hardship for adults and parents of teens who chose to wear them anyway.
The law bans ski masks at city recreation centers, public schools, parks, city-owned buildings, daycare centers, and on public transit.