POLK COUNTY, Arkansas —
The sheriff with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Arkansas is not a fan of Gov. Hutchinson’s new mask mandate.
In a Facebook post Thursday night, Sheriff Scott Sawyer said, “...the Polk County Sheriff’s Office will not be writing tickets to our citizens or visitors to our community for not wearing a mask.”
Here is Sawyer’s entire post:
"I have received numerous calls, texts, and messages from concerned citizens asking questions about the Public Health Directive mandating us to wear masks.
I have not had an opportunity to read the mandate so I could not answer many of the questions. I will sit down tonight and read it.
What I can assure you is that the Polk County Sheriff’s Office will not be writing tickets to our citizens or visitors to our community for not wearing a mask. I have neither the time, the personnel, or (in my opinion) the right to write tickets to anyone for not wearing a mask.
I value our individual freedoms and will fight to protect our rights. I have worn a mask in stores and public indoor gatherings for the last three months. This is a choice I made for myself and my family. I can not and will not make that choice for you.
I can not speak for all our Arkansas Sheriffs but all of the ones that I have spoken to this afternoon are in agreement on this issue.
I will post more on this after I have time to read the mandate.
Until then.. Stay safe and Stay Healthy."
By Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s order Thursday, people in Arkansas must wear masks in public places starting July 20.
