DAYTON–During a contentious Dayton School District board meeting September 15, two individuals in the audience allegedly refused to wear masks when requested to by Chairman David Bailey.

The situation prompted school officials to call the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office for help. Dayton Superintendent Guy Strot confirmed in the days following the meeting that a call was made to the Sheriff’s Office, although it was later cancelled.

At the following Monday Columbia County department head meeting for the Board of County Commissioners, Sheriff Joe Helm made a point to announce the department’s role in the mask or any mandates.

“I am not the vaccine police,” Helm said, “the Sheriff’s office is not and we are not the mask police either. We received a call last week for us to come out and try to deal with two people that were not wearing masks at a location. That is not for the Sheriff’s office to do. I don’t feel that’s our role. That’s not our responsibility.

“We will get involved with what we can to educate people like we said in the past and to help people understand different options they have,” Helm continued. “But we do not go out and enforce any kind of mandate or cite people or arrest people regarding anything regarding the masks or anything of that nature.”