SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KTXL) – Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones said he won’t be enforcing Gov. Gavin Newsom’s curfew and stay-at-home order.

Jones told FOX40 Tuesday that he’s been blessed with not having to hand out one citation to county residents, who he said have followed health restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said the county’s previous successes with past health guidelines are part of the reason why he won’t be enforcing the latest round of state restrictions.

“I have a tremendous amount of faith in folks to make those assessments relative to COVID,” Jones explained. 

With Sacramento County returning to the most restrictive purple tier, Jones said residents have learned enough in the past year to know the safety rules.

The sheriff said that he’s worn masks and kept a proper distance from others when he’s had to go to the store and he’s only visited with his parents twice in 2020.

“Based on the inherent risk and the folks I know are vulnerable, I make these decisions every day. Everybody’s making those decisions,” Jones said.

Jones said to have arbitrary restrictions placed on millions of people, assuming they’re somehow more at-risk during curfew hours of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., isn’t realistic.

“I have strong constitutional convictions. I’m a lawyer, so I understand about constitutional law,” Jones said. “But my points are really much more practical in wanting to be more engaged with the community in a positive way. And not having to put the men and women of the sheriff’s office in the position of having to enforce these not criminal laws, but some weird sort of health ordinances.” 

With Newsom under fire earlier in November for allegedly not following his own safety restrictions while attending a dinner in Napa, Jones said that Newsom was “appropriately apologetic.”

“But the reality of it is if the more forceful you are going to be and the more judgmental you are going to be with others, then the more you should be diligent in your own personal practices as well,” Jones said.