The ACLU of Northern California has partially settled a dispute with the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office concerning discrimination against people of Asian descent. In 2021 more than 28% of traffic stops by deputies in Siskiyou County targeted Asian drivers, though they make up only 2.4% of the county’s adult population. The settlement requires a new traffic stop policy prohibiting race-based stops and requiring deputies to establish at least reasonable suspicion before asking to search a vehicle. Deputies also are required to inform people of their right to refuse searches. Body cameras will be required during traffic stops as well. An independent monitor will ensure compliance and community meetings will be held twice a year. The settlement also removes property liens for unpaid cannabis fines. The sheriff’s office has long reported a concentration of cannabis growing in the Shasta Vistas Subdivision, which is largely populated by Asian-Americans. What remains unsettled are allegations that the county used zoning enforcement to deprive water to Asian-American residents.
-Steve Gibson