Chinatown welcomes bid to deter violence

Sakhone Lasaphangthong starts his day at 5 a.m. powerwashing the streets of Oakland’s Chinatown.

As he cleans, he keeps his “ears and eyes open in case there is a cry for help.” Sometimes help means offering water or food to passersby — which Lasaphangthong keeps in the back of his truck. Other times, it means working with police to deescalate a tense situation with a bystander.

Lasaphangthong is one of about five community ambassadors who recently started roaming Oakland’s Chinatown in green vests. Their role is to build relationships with merchants and residents to help foster safety amid an uptick in violent crime.

The program comes as Oakland and cities nationwide see a rise in crimes against Asian Americans. On Monday, law enforcement officials and Asian American community advocates held a news conference in Chinatown to decry two “brazen daytime” armed robberies there earlier this month.