Crimes involving suspects in masks prompts possible ski mask ban

Jun 06, 2025

Stockton's vice mayor sparks conversations about a ski mask ban ordinance

Stockton's vice mayor sparks conversations about a ski mask ban ordinance

Stockton's vice mayor sparks conversations about a ski mask ban ordinance

Stockton's vice mayor is planning on introducing a ban on ski masks. Multiple recent crimes involving suspects covering their faces sparked this possible decision.

The Stockton Police Department said a man was shot and killed in March at South San Joaquin and East Sonora streets. When sketches of two suspects possibly involved were released, both were wearing ski masks.

On Friday, an eighth grade student was was robbed at gunpoint outside Delta Sierra Middle School. Stockton Vice Mayor Jason Lee said the person was wearing a ski mask

Lee has been going over details for the potential ordinance with the city attorney.

“This is a city that has had temperatures [in the 100s]. There's no snow here. So there's no need to have face coverings. Of course, we want to be sensitive to those with religious practices or beliefs, where they have constitutional rights and we've developed, a potential or, prospective ordinance that covers all of those safeguards and of course, we're going to have to have our police department enforce them consistently with respect to people's rights," Lee said.

Stockton City Councilor Michele Padilla represents the district where the eighth grader was held at gunpoint.

“I can only state for my own opinion, you're wearing a mask because you don't want to identify yourself, or you want to be unseen, Padilla said."

There is precedent for ski mask bans in other places in the U.S., such as, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Camden County in New Jersey.

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