Oakland's Little Saigon seeks more police presence over rising violence
OAKLAND – In the area along International Boulevard in East Oakland called Little Saigon, most of the buildings are clad with iron gates and prostitutes openly ply their trade in the middle of the day.
Residents say crime is becoming more violent, businesses are being robbed, and jewelry store owner Thinh Le says the city needs to stop accepting it.
"Every time we call the police, they never come. They never show up at all," he said. "We just want it to be fair, like everywhere else. Because the city treats us just like a dumping ground."
A group of Vietnamese merchants gathered Wednesday morning to demand the same attention from city leaders that was given to Chinatown when crime was spiking there.
Nolan Wong said he is alarmed by how brazen the crime is getting and points to a brutal armed robbery, caught on surveillance video, outside his coin laundromat.
In the video, two men with guns approach a couple sitting outside the business. The two assailants steal the woman's purse and punch the man in the face, finally throwing him to the ground to steal his wallet, before running off.
"I had other customers inside," Wong told KPIX 5. "This was in broad daylight, at 1 o'clock in the afternoon. Asians are perceived as easy targets. It's like we're looked upon as being timid and not speaking out."
Wong gave police a clear photo of one of the gunmen and a description of their vehicle, but so far, no arrests. And he said he was told if they were minors, they probably wouldn't be charged anyway.
But, just as in Chinatown, making noise can sometimes yield results. At the news conference, Councilmember Sheng Thao said she will press for funding for more police presence, including officers who speak the language, so there can be a closer partnership in the community.
"A lot of the shop owners are monolingual. They are afraid because they feel they're not being heard and understood," said Thao. "So, we must make sure we have access to language, because we know that if we activate this space, that's how we keep ourselves safe."
But Wong thinks this isn't really about Asian hate, but a general state of lawlessness that is allowed to exist in the area. He said he doesn't think police can do it alone, but that nothing will change if they don't take it seriously.
"It's not new," Wong said. "We just need to be able to get some assistance, to get help for this community."
On Thursday, the Oakland City Council will hold hearings on mid-year budget adjustments. The Vietnamese merchants are demanding that those include more police resources for their area.
