Neighbors in Sheepshead Bay form Asian Community Watch group
NEW YORK - Residents in Sheepshead Bay are taking safety into their own hands by forming an Asian Community Watch group.
Focusing their patrols on the neighborhoods of Sheepshead Bay and Homecrest, the group will consist of volunteers who aim to deter crimes by calling police if they see anything suspicious.
"Being a watch person can help lower the crime rate, to give them a warning, to tell them to stop," said Bernard Chow, who's on the board of the group.
Asian Community Watch was formed and announced by Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, of Brooklyn's 48th Council District, who says it came after residents aired their concerns over safety and hate crimes. Vernikov is also funding the group.
"When there is an increase in crimes in the city, what happens is you have vulnerable targets. So the Jewish community and the Asian communities have been targets of that crime," she said.
While many think it's an overall safe area, they're disturbed over the slew of recent attacks against Asians nationwide.
"A lot of people are very not nice to the Asian people. I think there should be, we need somebody to help," said Maggie Chen, owner of a nail salon on Avenue U.
Another volunteer agrees.
"The Asian community has been badly hit, many people have been hurt, and people have gotten killed," said Stanley Ng.
This group will be trained by their neighbors from the Jewish community. Flatbush Shomrim Safety Patrol, organized by Jewish volunteers decades ago, is helping to prepare them to be out in the streets.
CBS2's Hannah Kliger was invited to attend one of their first meetings this week.
"We're very glad to be able to help them to get them on their feet, to get them going, and at the end of the day if their community is safe, our community is safe," says Bob Moskovitz, executive doordinator of Flatbush Shomrim Safety Patrol.
The partnership has strengthened an alliance between the two groups.
"I want to say thank you to the Jewish community because they have a very successful model," says Lina Chen, a resident of Sheepshead Bay. She added that their group will be based on that model.
The unarmed group aims to be a visible and comforting presence in the area, and to call police if needed.
"They hide behind a cloak of anonymity," says retired NYPD Deputy Chief Dewey Fong, when speaking of perpetrators. "Once you strip that cloak away, they're going to think twice."
Andy Lin, owner of a 99 cent store on Avenue U, says it will also be good for business.
"The feeling of being more safe will encourage people to come out and spend more and shop more," a translator relayed to CBS2.
The group is currently designing their uniforms and continuing to recruit new members. They hope to be out on patrol in a few weeks.
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