Morning Report: Prop. 36 Arrests Disproportionately Impact Black San Diegans

Morning Report: Prop. 36 Arrests Disproportionately Impact Black San Diegans

As local leaders, including District Attorney Summer Stephan, rallied behind Proposition 36 last year, opponents of the statewide criminal justice measure warned it would disproportionately impact people of color. In the months after Proposition 36 took effect, those fears appear to have panned out: Nearly a third of people arrested on Proposition 36 charges in the city of San Diego were Black, a group that makes up just 6 percent of the city’s …

Black San Diegans Disproportionately Arrested Under Prop 36

by Alina Ajaz, Tessa Balc and Lisa Halverstadt / Voice of San Diego / June 30, 2025 In the initial six months after San Diego police started enforcing Proposition 36, Black San Diegans were disproportionately affected by the new state law. Police data shows 32 percent of 374 people arrested for Proposition 36 related drug or theft charges in the city of San Diego from mid-December through May were Black, a community that makes up 6 percent of th…