Violent Crimes Lead to Ski Mask Ban in Philadelphia 

Philadelphia recently passed a bill back in December where they banned ski masks in most public places, although it's said to help the police, some people feel the new law isn’t right.

The reason for this is ban is because multiple crimes have been committed by people who are  wearing ski masks.

“The legislation touched on several recent incidents, including the deadly ambush by ski mask-clad gunmen who shot and killed Nicolas Elizalde, an innocent bystander, during a Roxborough High School football scrimmage.”, says 6abc 

The bill is said to help the police by revealing people's faces whilst they are committing crimes, making it easier to identify them. 

When asked about his stand on the bill, Deputy Comissioner Francis Healy said, "Healy said the ban will give officers “lawful authority” to stop people, which will be helpful because under a years long monitoring agreement with the Pennsylvania ACLU, Philadelphia police must document every pedestrian stop and the legal reasoning behind it."

There has been some issues of bias with said law though, some people believe that it can target men of color

But opponents call the measure a subterfuge to allow police to target people of color, and youth especially, and as a means for law enforcement to stop—and potentially interrogate, frisk, or even arrest—those targets without due cause or a lawful basis for suspicion. , says 6abc 

Solomon Worlds, of the Philadelphia ACLU is someone who disagrees with the law and feels ski masks have no connection with crime.

“Safety is important, but there is no evidence to suggest ski masks cause or encourage violent crime,” Worlds said.

Another argument made against the bill was that it criminalizes the clothes that people wear, also the mention of banning fashion trends.

In a article written by Hayden Mitman, he says, "Mary Henin, president of UAW Local 5502, which represents public defenders in the city, argued that the bill criminalizes everyday clothing worn by much of the public, not because the masks can be used to hide someone's identity, but because ski masks are a currently popular fashion trend."

Despite those arguments, the bill still passed through legislation with a 13-2 vote, and was then sent to Mayor Jim Kenney. The mayor didn’t sign nor veto the bill, making it law.

"It aims to create a safer, more transparent and loving community,", says Councilman Anthony Phillips