CRIMEAre Ski Mask Bans a Crime-Fighting Solution? Some Cities Say Yes.
Amid concerns about crime and public safety, at least two major U.S. cities recently considered banning ski masks or balaclavas to prevent criminal behavior, despite a lack of academic research about the effectiveness of such bans. Philadelphia is the latest city to prohibit ski masks in some public areas.
Amid concerns about crime and public safety, at least two major U.S. cities recently considered banning ski masks or balaclavas to prevent criminal behavior, despite a lack of academic research about the effectiveness of such bans.
Last month, Philadelphia became the latest city to enact a ban in some public spaces, including parks, schools, day care centers, city-owned buildings and public transit. The ban comes with exceptions for working in cold weather, religious expression and activities such as protesting and playing winter sports.
The ban, introduced last June, came after a series of fatal shootings involving masked suspects.
“In Philadelphia, there’s been a siege of violence,” Democratic Philadelphia Councilmember Anthony Phillips, who sponsored and pushed for the ban, said in an interview with Stateline. “Ski masks are oftentimes the reason why there’s a lot of crime and lawlessness happening.”
Meanwhile, the Atlanta City Council considered a similar proposal but tabled it amid concerns about racial profiling and doubts over whether it would make a difference.
For some, ski masks are synonymous with criminal activity. Several cities and states already have blanket bans against masks that conceal one’s identity. The banned masks include ski masks, which cover all but one’s eyes, nose and mouth; balaclavas, which cover necks and the lower part of one’s face; and costume masks that might cover the whole face except the eyes.
While mask bans in some states, such as California and New York, date as far back as the 1800s, most states enacted their bans in the middle of the 20th century. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted some jurisdictions to temporarily suspend their bans, as many residents wore masks to protect themselves from the airborne virus. Meanwhile, the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 raised awareness about racial profiling by law enforcement.
Crime and public safety are likely to figure prominently in the upcoming elections. Some experts expect politicians to implement ski mask bans and other measures to convince voters that they’re tough on crime — whether or not there is evidence to support such strategies.
“There’s this idea of running to a policy that seems to, quote-unquote, make sense, but to which there is no effectiveness,” Alex Piquero, a criminology professor at the University of Miami and former director of the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, told Stateline.
“Anytime you make policy based on no research, that’s not a really good idea,” Piquero said.
