(stock photo)

The police chief of Mississippi’s largest city is proposing a ban on wearing ski masks in public.

“They’re riding around right now in 90-degree weather, 100-degree weather with ski masks on,” Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade told the Jackson City Council Tuesday night.  “I see them on video surveillance inside businesses, gas stations, and dollar stores with ski masks on.”

Citing rising safety concerns and criminals attempting to evade facial recognition technology, Wade proposed a city-wide ordinance Tuesday night that would ban the wearing of ski masks in public.

During a Jackson City Council meeting, Wade highlighted an increase in groups of young men wearing ski masks, often without shirts, describing their behavior as intimidating, particularly when entering businesses. He emphasized that criminals are aware of the city’s facial recognition capabilities and are using masks as a tactic to conceal their identities.

Wade assured the council that the proposed ordinance’s primary goal is not to infringe upon constitutional rights, but to reduce crime and enhance public safety. He also mentioned discussions with Mayor John Horhn and a planned meeting with Capitol Police Chief Bo Luckey to explore a memorandum of understanding between the two agencies.

No vote was taken on the proposed ordinance during Tuesday’s meeting, with the City Council agreeing to revisit the request at a later date.