Armed guards, volunteers join police to patrol streets
OAKLAND, California (KPIX) — The community in Oakland’s Chinatown is fighting back in its own way to protect citizens after a spike in violent attacks and robberies.
An alarming number of brutal assaults, many of them unprovoked and targeting the community’s most vulnerable elderly members, have led to calls to stop the violence.
Many residents told KPIX on Thursday they feel safer now compared to just a couple weeks ago. They say they’re seeing more police officers on the street and in patrol cars.
There are also more armed security guards protecting stores in the neighborhood as well as volunteers working to keep streets free of violence.