Washington DC’s established its police community liaison unit in the 90s to reach out to the Asian community.
The Oakland Police Department just this month established its unit following a spike in hate crimes against Asian American.
In all of 2020, DC only experienced three bias related crimes against Asian Americans, according to police.
It credits that long history for its lower case load.
“It has been lower than others I think because it has a lot to do with the community outreach and how we’re in the community on a daily basis,” Lt. David Hong told WUSA9.
The unit is made up of five officers
In Oakland, a new formed liaison unit began work just yesterday.
“It’s a happy feeling that they want me back to represent the community,” said Oakland Police Asian Community Liaison Mae Phu told NBC Bay Area.
Oakland’s new police chief LeRonne Armstrong hopes the unit will build trust in the community and decrease crime.
The business community welcomes it.
“It’s a huge step because right now, with all these many incidents, it’s not only about public safety itself,” said Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce head Carl Chan. “People feel vulnerable,” he said to NBC Bay Area.
Numerous Asian American civil rights organizations, however, don’t feel more police and criminalization is the answer.
They’d like to see cities tackle what they see as systemic causes of crime.
“The solution to violence is not more violence in the form of aggressive and discriminatory law enforcement,” the statement reads. “Instead, we need interventions and responses that address the root causes of violence and that provide culturally and linguistically sensitive services for survivors, victims, and their families,” a coalition of 100 groups said in a recent statement.
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