Santa Barbara, Calif.  – The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is joining the Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA) in taking a clear stance in response to the abhorrent recent attacks against members of the Asian-American and Pacific Islander communities across the country. 

In a statement released today, MCSA President Sheriff Peter Koutoujian of the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Office in Massachusetts said, “MCSA is deeply troubled by the recent physical and verbal acts of violence perpetrated against members of the Asian-American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. MCSA sheriffs stand in solidarity with the AAPI community and condemn these heinous acts in the strongest possible terms. Racism, hate and violence have no place in our communities.  MCSA sheriffs, their deputies and support staff will diligently continue to work each day on ensuring their counties are safe for everyone who calls them home.” 

Sheriff Brown, who is a member of the MCSA Executive Board, added, “All the men and women of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office denounce hatred, violence and racism of any kind. While we are pleased that we have had no hate crimes against Asian or Pacific Islander victims reported in the communities we police since at-least the beginning of 2000, we want to ensure these types of crimes are reported to us if they occur. All such reports are taken seriously and investigated thoroughly. We will relentlessly pursue and apprehend the perpetrators of crimes committed against members of our Asian-American and Pacific Islander community, or any other group of people within our county that is targeted due to their race, ancestry, religion, age, gender, disability or sexual orientation. We stand strong in Santa Barbara County because we stand together.”

It is the policy of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office to safeguard the rights of all people, irrespective of their disability, gender, nationality, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and/or association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. Any acts or threats of violence, property damage, harassment, intimidation, or other crimes motivated by hate or bias are viewed very seriously and given high priority.

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