The Stockton City Council declined to approve a ban on facial coverings and will instead hold more discussions with the public and police about concerns and enforcement.
Vice Mayor Jason Lee introduced the proposal in June, citing concerns that facial coverings in public spaces were being used during robberies and other crimes to avoid identification by police and security cameras.
The Stockton Police Department said 31% of all robberies in 2023 involved a facial covering, compared with 26% in 2024. From January through June of this year, 28% of robberies involved a facial covering, which police said amounts to roughly one in four cases…