OAKLAND, Calif. (KERO) — Residents in Oakland's Chinatown have come together to fight not just Asian hate crimes, but attacks on their bottom line.
The Toishan Association Patrol Group is one of four organizations that walk the streets of this neighborhood, formed after what shop owners, residents, and community members say felt like non-stop crime in the area. Community leaders say the patrol groups and 8 additional overtime Oakland police officers have curbed crime in recent months.
The past few weeks though have been challenging, as thieves broke into cars, a kung-fu studio, and a nearby yogurt shop. That prompted the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council (OCIC) to hold an emergency meeting. What resulted was using city and OCIC funds to add overnight patrols from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., when community members say most crime occurs.
"They have whistles, they have mace, but they are just average folks who have had enough," explained Stewart Chen, President of the OICI.
As Chinatown continues to battle the pandemic of hate, the merchants and residents will now have a new tool to ensure a safer and more prosperous community in the year to come.
