Asian Americans more likely to be robbery targets

Higher rate than other ethnicities, data shows

SAN LEANDRO >> A brazen afternoon robbery of a man depositing money at Bank of America is likely part of a broader upswing in street crimes against people in the Asian community, police say.

Asians in San Leandro seem to be especially vulnerable to the kind of robbery that happened about 1:30 p.m. Feb. 9 outside the bank’s branch on Marina Boulevard, according to police.

The victim was knocked to the ground and injured near an ATM, and then four robbers drove off with his cash. Police described him as a man in his mid-60s.

Asians represent about 34% of the city’s population of about 88,815, according to the United States Census Bureau. Whites make up about 38% percent, Latinos about 27% and Black people about 11%.

But data shows Asian Americans are more likely to be victims of robberies based on a review of the crime rates for reported cases in 2020, according to Denise Joseph, a crime analyst with San Leandro police.

Joseph told the City Council on March 8 that roughly 8 out of every 1,000 of the city’s Asian population were robbery victims last year. Their ages were not disclosed.

Last year, the robbery rate for

Black people in San Leandro was about 5 per 1,000, Joseph said via an email. For Latinos, it was about 3 per 1,000, and for Whites it was about 1 per 1,000.

“It’s almost double that of any other race, which is significant to point out,” Joseph said about Asian victims of robberies in San Leandro.

Police would not speculate on why Asian Americans are especially targeted for robberies.

The figures actually could be higher because some victims may not feel comfortable contacting authorities after a crime because of language differences, Joseph told the council.

The update comes amid heightened awareness of attacks on Asian Americans during the pandemic.

The Stop Asian American Pacific Islander Hate coalition said it has received nearly 3,800 reports of hate incidents, which can range from verbal abuse to physical assaults, from across the country

since March 2020. Known as Stop AAPI Hate, the group tracks reports of violence against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Last month, Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley announced the creation of a special response unit focused on crimes against Asians, particularly older Asians.

Among the more recent victims was a 75-year-old man who died after he was pushed to the pavement and robbed in Oakland’s Adams Point neighborhood March 9, the day after the San Leandro council got the briefing on violent crime.

Pak Ho of Hong Kong was taking a morning walk when he suffered a head injury and brain damage after hitting the pavement, according to police.

Oakland police arrested two men in connection with the case.

On March 16, an ex-convict punched a 76-year-old Asian man walking in the 400 block of Seventh Street in Oakland’s Chinatown, police said. The victim, who did not know his attacker, said “good morning” to the man, who said something in response before punching him in the face without warning, authorities said.

Police arrested the alleged attacker shortly afterward at a nearby homeless camp.

In January, 84-yearold Vicha Ratanapakdee, a Thai American, died after he was violently shoved to the ground in San Francisco in what his family said it believes was a racially motivated assault, according to media reports.

The COVID-19 pandemic may be playing into the attacks, said Joseph, who noted that violent crime was up throughout San Leandro last year.

Many businesses are closed as people work from home. As a result, she told the council, some robbers may be targeting victims on the street instead of carrying out robberies or thefts inside a business.

Police agencies throughout the nation are reporting an upsurge in attacks against Asian Americans amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which former President Donald Trump said stemmed from the “China virus” — a term his critics say helped stir xenophobia against the community.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order denouncing intolerance toward Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders shortly after taking office in January.

“When these occur, it has to be all hands on deck,” San Leandro Councilman Pete Ballew said during a council meeting earlier this month about attacks that target Asians and others that police classify as hate crimes. Ballew is a retired San Leandro police officer.

Councilman Fred Simon called the crime numbers and how they broke down by race “outrageous.”

“This isn’t the first time we are hearing these numbers,” Simon said. “They are like this in many parts of the country.”

“It’s surprising,” he added, “but not surprising.”

Councilman Bryan Azevedo asked for the demographics breakdown following reports that attacks and robberies of Asians were on the rise in the Bay Area.

The council took no formal action after getting the update.

Azevdeo said via Twitter that he would be announcing a proposal to curb crime within San Leandro, but he did not offer details.

“This is a plan without cutting more of the police budget and without hiring more police officers,” he posted. “It’s a plan I will sell to all of you.”

Overall, the number of violent crimes in San Leandro has remained roughly the same over the past three years: 474 in 2018, 454 in 2019 and 464 last year. Murder, nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault each are classified as a violent crime.

San Leandro police Lt. Ali Khan told the council that the department is coordinating with other agencies to identify possible suspects in the robbery outside Bank of America.

In an email, Khan said police have “identified some persons of interest and are still working on leads.”