Watch CBS News

Asian-American Federation hosts safety training event in Brooklyn

Safety training held in Sunset Park amid uptick in violence 00:49

NEW YORK -- Amid a rise in anti-Asian attacks in New York City and nationwide, a local organization is working to help New Yorkers feel safe.

The Asian-American Federation hosted an event in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, on Saturday where people were trained on what to do in an emergency situation.

They learned everything from situational awareness to de-escalation to basic first aid.

"We believe that the community needs to be trained to keep themselves safe given the prevalence of Asian-American hate in the city and the fact that just a few weeks ago, we had a gunman running loose on the subways in Sunset Park," said Meera Venugopal, associate director of development and communications at the Asian-American Federation.

The organization says it has trained 1,200 people across the city so far and will hold future events.

As of March, the NYPD said there were 26 crimes against Asians in 2022, double from the previous year.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.