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Elkhart County Sheriff declines to enforce new COVID-related ordinance

Picture provided by the Elkhart Police Department

ELKHART COUNTY (Network Indiana): The sheriff in Elkhart County says he will not be enforcing a new ordinance that stiffens coronavirus restrictions.

This week Elkhart County commissioners adopted a new ordinance permitting fines to be levied on businesses that are not complying with mask mandates, social distancing requirements, and other COVID-related restrictions.

“I do have concerns with the enforcement portion of this ordinance and the impact it may have on our citizens,” said Sheriff Jeff Siegel in a statement. “Due to these concerns, enforcement of this ordinance will be left to the officials who are charged with its enforcement.”

Siegel said he has instructed his deputies to use “extreme caution” if they get a call related to the ordinance. In the end, he says as the ordinance is implemented, starting Dec. 17, he says “everyone’s rights will be respected.”

Elkhart County has an overall seven-day positivity rate over 15-percent and had been seeing a slight decline in the number of people testing positive through the end of November.

Siegel said though he and his deputies will not be actively enforcing the ordinance, he said he is not dismissing the severity of the pandemic.

“I encourage all of our citizens to continue to do their part, wear masks and follow all recommendations provided by the CDC and our healthcare professionals, to help mitigate exposures and reduce hospitalizations,” Siegel said. “If we all do our part, we can render this ordinance irrelevant.”

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3 comments

Roger Cotterman December 4, 2020 at 1:08 pm

Be that as it may the Sheriff knows it is bullshit and cannot say so. Bring it on mask Nazis people have a law in this country known as the Constitution. If these assholes making these bullshit rules knew the Constitution they would know that it is not an enforceable law or mandate.
The Governor is an even bigger asshole who is going to face litigation in the New Year over his ignorance. This is the biggest scam ever perpetuated on the American people WTF up people. Fake Fauci had been lying since day 1, and continues to lie like the ignorance ass moron he really is.

Reply
James L. Alt December 6, 2020 at 6:23 pm

Roger Cotterman, your post reveals a lack of understanding about the issues you are writing about. Your use of meaningless explicative adds nothing to your argument.
Also, something is not true because you say it. Where is your evidence?

Reply
Jerry December 5, 2020 at 12:37 am

This is the reason why we’re where we’re, this have to stop and either all or none,wait for federal mandate, then they have no choice, idiot’s

Reply

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