Vigilante Group May Arm Itself to Stem Robberies of Asian Americans

A newly formed non-profit launched to stop the tide of robberies targeting Asian Americans in Sacramento may be moving towards arming its members.

The Asian American Public Safety Service Center tells the Sacramento Bee it will ask the National Rifle Association to train its members on the use of firearms during patrols.

Volunteers with AAPSSC have been patrolling south Sacramento nightly to respond to reports of robberies from members of the community.

The vigilantes have been criticized by the Sacramento Police Department for its activities, but AAPSSC says honking horns and using flashlights to scare off criminals has worked.

RELATED: 20 Arrests in Crime Spree Targeting Asian American Community

15 More Arrested in Crime Spree Targeting Asian Americans

The robbery spree began last fall, but stopped after authorities announced a crackdown and a string of arrests in the cases.
However, in the last few months, a spike in crime against Asian Americans has been seen.

The Bee reports there were 6 robberies against Asians in January, 15 in February, and 2 in March. That’s compared to 15 a month last falls.

“It’s fair to say we are down relative to the peak, when we were swinging our full effort,” Officer Matthew McPhail said. “But obviously any time somebody is being victimized is not a desirable outcome.”

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