(The Center Square) – As violent crimes such as robberies have risen sharply over the past year, a Chicago City Council member is supporting an ordinance that would impose higher penalties for people convicted of a crime despite wearing a mask.

Just four years ago, during the COVID-19 pandemic, local authorities required masks. Illinois' indoor mask mandate was lifted in February 2022.

Overall, violent crime increased by nearly 8% last year. Robberies, including a number of coordinated robberies, accounted for more than 37% of all reported incidents. At the same time, the arrest rate for such crimes fell to a five-year low of just 10.8%. In some of the crimes captured on surveillance video, the perpetrators wore masks.

The Democratic National Convention will be held downtown in a few weeks, and large protests are expected. The convention begins on August 19.

Chicago City Councilman Raymond Lopez has put forward a proposal to toughen penalties for masked offenders, which would apply to both serious crimes and minor offenses such as trespassing and blocking public rights of way.

“Political extremists want everyone to wear a mask while they take over communities. Not you or your neighbors,” Lopez wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Not all council members think Lopez's plan is the best course of action.

“It has its benefits, but at the same time, it's something that's really going to impact the black and brown community,” Ald. Chris Taliaferro told The Center Square. “We're looking at whether we can increase penalties and increase punishment when it comes to juveniles or adults in black and brown communities.”

City watchdog People's Fabric raised similar concerns, adding, “History has shown us that enhanced penalties like this are always used against activists and people of color. The scope of this ordinance extends to any type of 'crime,' which includes minor infractions that are often used as a weapon against protesters.”

His plan calls for 10 days in jail, a $5,000 fine and up to 129 hours of community service in addition to the normal punishment for the crime. Lopez calls it a “common sense” measure, adding that only those guilty of misconduct should be concerned. The veteran council member adds that he plans to request a hearing on the measure at the next meeting of the City Council's Public Safety Committee.

At the same time, Taliaferro, a former CPD detective, openly questions whether his colleague is even on the right path to turning his words into law.

“I'm convinced he should be talking to our state legislators about this, not the City Council,” he said. “Does he mean he's violating a city ordinance while wearing a mask, or does he mean he's violating a state crime? We don't deal with those issues in the City Council. If he's trying to increase a crime based on aggravating circumstances or wearing a mask, that's a matter that goes before the General Assembly.”