Colorado Springs Police will enforce trespass calls, not issue mask citations

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The Colorado Springs Police Department is clarifying how it will follow the statewide mask mandate.

In an announcement Tuesday, CSPD said it will focus on education and voluntary compliance over enforcement. However, if a business calls about a customer refusing to wear a mask and leave, then officers will enforce trespass ordinances.

On July 16, Governor Polis signed an executive order requiring masks to be worn by anyone over the age of 10 and inside all indoor public spaces.

CSPD says it will not dispatch officers to calls where a business or other indoor public space is not requiring facial coverings. "That is a business licensing issue," the department wrote.

Officers may respond to a trespass call if a person refuses to leave an establishment by an employee or business owner. CSPD says they will try to first solve the issue without criminal charges. But if the person still refuses to leave, officers may issue a trespass citation.

There are some exceptions though.

"If an officer responds to a situation where someone says there is a medical reason they cannot wear a mask or face covering, the officer’s actions will be consistent with the American with Disabilities Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, and the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act," CSPD wrote.

Police concluded the statement by asking "that all our community members voluntarily comply with this order so we can all stay safe and healthy."