After weeks of being in lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, Americans in many parts of the country are starting to think that some restrictions are taking things way too far.

While social gatherings are banned virtually everywhere, one California county just took things a step further by banning car parades, even if the participants stay isolated in their vehicles. One sheriff, however, is not cooperating with enforcing this policy.

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Santa Clara County, which is about 50 miles southeast of San Francisco, banned all car parades, caravans, and drive-thru graduations. “The order prohibits all public and private gatherings with people who do not live in the same household or living unit, except for the limited purposes allowed in the order. Parades, ceremonies, and similar gatherings with people outside your household are not allowed, even if everyone stays in their cars,” the county website states.

East Side Union School District Superintendent Chris Funk explained that local schools had been planning a drive-thru graduation for the class of 2020 that was to take place in a flea market parking lot, but the county’s emergency center shut down the plan. “I get public health’s concern that we might not be able to control the crowd outside of the location,” Funk told KRON4. “We would do a drive-thru, but we can certainly control who enters the drive-thru.”

“There’s definitely a frustration on our part not being able to recognize at least having a drive-thru graduation,” he added.

San Jose Police Chief Eddie Garcia spoke out to blast the new ban, saying it is “incredibly frustrating,” and the “goalposts are moving for law enforcement.”

“Since day one, these orders have been ridiculously difficult to enforce,” Garcia told reporters. “I don’t know how any police chief in this county, could look at their community in the face and say, ‘While people are being released out of jails on zero bail, serious criminals, that now we’re going to stop people from holding signs, driving around, and wishing individuals happy birthdays or happy graduations.’ I certainly can’t look at my community credibly and tell them that.”

Garcia went so far as to say that he will not be enforcing the ban on car parades. “Unless there’s a blatant violation, we’ll continue with warnings,” he explained.

He later doubled down on this on Twitter, saying, “I should’ve probably toned it down as I discussed enforcement on the new imminent threat to San Jose, not felons with guns, not armed robbers, burglars, or criminal street gangs, but the new scourge… CAR PARADES!”

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“I need someone to explain to us how driving in a vehicle with your family to wish someone a happy birthday increases the chances of the COVID-19,” Garcia added. “We can go to supermarkets every day, yet you can’t drive around to wish someone a happy birthday.”

This comes days after Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco gave a powerful speech during a board of supervisors meeting in which he explained why he will not enforce lockdown orders. “From the beginning, I told you that I would not be enforcing this stay-at-home order, partly because I trusted our residents’ ability to do the right thing without the fear of being arrested,” Bianco said on Wednesday, according to The Blaze. “I knew that they could be trusted to act as responsible adults, and I was correct.”

We all need to be mindful about coronavirus, but we also need to watch out for power-hungry leaders who are using this pandemic to put unnecessary restrictions on us in an attempt to dictate every aspect of our lives. We applaud brave law enforcement officers for having the courage to speak out against these ridiculous restrictions.