Columbia fire marshals handed out 112 mask violation tickets last weekend
In what Columbia Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins called a “zero tolerance” enforcement effort last weekend, fire marshals handed out more than 100 tickets for face mask violations.
Jenkins told The State that 112 mask tickets were issued, with the overwhelming majority being handed out in the Five Points entertainment and nightlife district that has, for decades, been popular with University of South Carolina students. According to Jenkins, 68 mask tickets were written on Jan. 22, and another 44 were written on Jan. 23.
Each mask ticket carries a $100 fine. Columbia initially put a mask ordinance in place back in June, in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. The ordinance has been extended a number of times, and the current version of the law is in effect until early February. Penalties for mask violations were initially $25, but Columbia City Council beefed up the ordinance, which requires masks to be worn in public places, in November, raising the penalty to $100.
The city has issued more than 300 mask tickets since June.
With COVID-19 still ripping through South Carolina, Jenkins said he continues to shake his head when encountering groups of people in public without masks on.
“With all the cases and everything, we’ve still got people, particularly out in the Five Points area, not adhering to the mask ordinance,” Jenkins told The State. “We get lots of complaints about people not wearing a mask. So, we decided to go down there this past weekend and did a zero tolerance campaign.”
Jenkins said he and city fire marshals also visited other entertainment districts of the city, including The Vista and Main Street, but found better mask compliance there. The longtime chief said officials will be out enforcing masks again this coming weekend.
“I don’t mind people knowing that we will be out there,” Jenkins said. “I want them to know. We don’t want to write tickets. We want people to do the right thing.”
On Wednesday, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control reported another 2,621 new cases of COVID-19 and 88 more deaths. Since March, the state has reported more than 384,000 cases of COVID-19, and more than 6,000 deaths related to the virus.
City Councilman Will Brennan, whose District 3 includes Five Points, asked residents to continue to wear their masks in public places as the pandemic rages on.
“We talk about following the CDC guidelines, social distancing and wearing masks, if you can,” Brennan told The State. “We just have to continue to follow the guidelines that are put forth. It’s tough that some people aren’t following the guidelines. Chief Jenkins and his ambassador program are doing a wonderful job. I hate that they are put in that situation.”
This story was originally published January 27, 2021 at 2:20 PM.
