Tuscaloosa Police Department officers were spotted on The Strip Sunday evening in an apparent attempt to enforce local and state COVID-19 ordinances, and now the Department has announced that it issued 12 citations and made four arrests as a result of those efforts.

Tuscaloosa Police Department Public Information Officer Stephanie Taylor says TPD Chief Brent Blankley called officers in to work after seeing numerous reports of coeds congregating at popular bars near campus.

Taylor said officers discovered that bars were not exceeding capacity; however, many patrons were not wearing masks as required by state and local ordinances.

"In all, officers issued 12 citations for mask violations. Four people were arrested on seven charges. One man was charged obstruction of justice as officers attempted to issue a mask citation. Two others who refused to sign citations were arrested for mask violations. One of those men was also charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest," Taylor said.

"A young woman was charged with obstruction of justice and public intoxication after she became involved in one of the aforementioned arrests," she added.

These arrests and citations were the first made within the City of Tuscaloosa since the mask mandate went into effect in July. The Tuscaloosa Police Department plans to continue patrolling The Strip and downtown to ensure patrons adhere to COVID-19 guidelines.

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