Santa Barbara, Calif. –  The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is taking a clear stance in response to the recent antisemitic messaging against members of the Jewish communities across the country. This messaging has recently been distributed in the Isla Vista area in the form of hateful fliers inside of plastic bags that were left in the roadway.

Sheriff Bill Brown would like to reassure members of the Jewish community that we are actively investigating these incidents and deputies will continue to reach out to Jewish faith leaders and community centers to establish open communication and address any safety concerns. Sheriff Brown said “The men and women of the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office denounce hatred, violence and racism of any kind. While we are pleased that we have had no recent hate crimes against Jewish victims reported in the communities we police, 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 Jewish 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. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office will not be offering a platform for hate by sharing specifics of the messages being distributed. Anyone with information about the source of these messages is encouraged to contact Sheriff’s Detectives at (805)681-4150.  If you prefer to remain anonymous, you can provide information by calling our tip line at (805)681-4171 or online at SBSheriff.org.