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LAPD Will Tweak Mask Guidelines For Officers, LAFD And LASD Requirements Remain The Same
A sign asking visitors to wear a face mask.
(
Frederic J. Brown
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
As California loosens its face mask requirements, some Los Angeles City agencies are tweaking their policies as well.
At Tuesday’s meeting of the L.A. Police Commission, L.A. Police Department Chief Michel Moore announced that officers who are fully vaccinated are now not required to wear a mask outdoors, unless they are interacting with the public.
Department employees are still required to wear masks indoors or while in their patrol cars, regardless of vaccine status.
The L.A. Fire Department will not change its mask mandate unless L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti issues a directive to do so, according to a spokesperson for the department. The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department does not have any changes planned to their mask policies either.
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Throughout the pandemic, there has been significant resistance in law enforcement to mask mandates and vaccine mandates. In the Sheriff’s Department, 62% of employees were fully vaccinated at the beginning of February, according to their own accounting, and L.A. Sheriff Alex Villanueva has pushed back against the county’s mask mandate.
At LAPD, the numbers are higher, with 82.6% of all employees fully vaccinated as of late January.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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