Stockton City Council adopts ordinance making some use of ski masks, face coverings a misdemeanor

The Stockton City Council has approved a new ordinance making some uses of ski masks and face coverings a misdemeanor.

The vote came despite questions about legality and how police will enforce it.

There are exceptions for religious, medical, and sporting events, and holidays. The ordinance applies when someone wears a mask to conceal their identity in a way that creates a reasonable fear of intimidation, threats or violence.

Before council could approve it, questions about legality and enforcement flooded the chambers.

"The challenge Stockton is facing is not a lack of laws. It's a lack of enforcement," one civilian said.

The proposal first surfaced last June but was revised after police raised their own concerns about enforcement.

The Stockton Police Department says calls regarding someone simply wearing a mask will not be deemed a priority and noted that "our officers are experienced and well-trained on the importance of recognizing when someone is suspicious."

This comes as the neighboring city of Modesto faces a lawsuit from the Northern California chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union over its own mask ordinance during protests.

But Stockton Vice Mayor Jason Lee pushed back on comparing the two cities.

"I did a quick little Google search. The violence in Stockton versus Modesto: Modesto had zero homicides [and] we had homicides in June and today," Lee said.

Lee said Stockton has its own public safety problems and the city should use every tool available.

"Every single resident, all 300,000, deserves to live in a city that has a council that prioritizes every opportunity to keep them safe," Lee said.