New York mayor says retailers must force shoppers to remove masks when entering stores to prevent crime

New York mayor says retailers must force shoppers to remove masks when entering stores to prevent crime. 'It's not about being fearful of a pandemic.'

"Do not allow people to enter the store without taking off their face masks," he told a local radio station.

"Once they're inside, they can continue to wear it if they so desire to do so," Adams said of the policy.

As NPR member Gothamist reports, "Robberies spiked in New York City last year, with 17,411 reported last year, compared to 13,831 in 2021, according to NYPD data. Before that, the number of reported robberies hadn't exceeded 17,000 since 2013."

"When you see these mask-wearing people, oftentimes it's not about being fearful of the pandemic, it's fearful of the police catching them for their deeds," the mayor said.