In recent years, the frequent appearance of zero-dollar purchases and robberies before “Black Friday” has often caused concern among residents in some communities in Los Angeles about their safety. However, this year the atmosphere is much more relaxed. On Tuesday (November 19), Chinese residents in Los Angeles County expressed their latest feelings about community safety during a meeting with the local police.
The “Community Safety is Everyone’s Responsibility” (TACF) organization in Los Angeles County led its members to visit the Walnut Station of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department that day, bringing 50 lunches, 45 blankets, and Taiwanese community specialties to the police station, sponsored by the Wanyu Foundation. Ngee Siew Kon, the head of TACF, mentioned that they hold this “warmth-giving activity” every year to express gratitude to the police for patrolling the community regularly.
Kon stated that after the passage of Proposition 36 in California, local residents have shown more confidence in community safety, and their emotions have become more optimistic. He pointed out that the communities of Hacienda Heights, Walnut, and Diamond Bar are areas where Chinese immigrants reside, and although the security situation is relatively better, there have been multiple robbery incidents in the past year, causing residents to worry about community safety.
“We visit the police every year, getting to know more officers, so now when many local police officers meet us, it feels like meeting old friends,” Kon said.
Kon introduced that during the annual fellowship events with the police, TACF helps to provide feedback on safety issues that concern citizens and assist the police in conveying security strategies and practices to the community. He mentioned that some Chinese people used to be afraid when seeing the police, as he did in the past, but now things have improved significantly. Many residents have now become good friends with the police. In recent years, he has often seen police patrolling around his neighborhood, increasing people’s sense of security.
Deputy Mayor Jia-You Deng of Diamond Bar also attended the event on Tuesday. He emphasized that community safety requires efforts from both the police and community residents. Deng praised the meaning behind TACF’s “Spreading Warmth to the Police” activity, as it facilitates collaboration between the police and the community. He also provided feedback to the police chief, hoping that the department could recruit officers who can speak Mandarin.
Deng urged, “Police officers are highly respected in the community, and we hope Chinese parents encourage their children to pursue careers in law enforcement.”
Walnut Station Police Chief Steven Tousey expressed his gratitude for the visit from TACF. He mentioned that the areas where Chinese people gather have low crime rates in Los Angeles County, and up to now, there haven’t been major issues related to violent crime in these areas, primarily property theft. However, they have noticed an increase in property theft, burglaries, and car break-ins near the Valley & Lemon neighborhood in Walnut.
Regarding Proposition 36 overwhelmingly passing, Tousey believes it will help in law enforcement by driving habitual offenders out of the community. He stated, “Committing one or two crimes is not a big issue, but if someone repeatedly commits burglaries, car break-ins for a living, they should be put behind bars. I am pleased to see this change.”
Despite the relatively low crime rate in the area, Tousey reminded the community to be cautious before “Black Friday,” offering some tips:
1. After shopping, do not leave items in your car and continue shopping; it’s best to take your purchases home first. Cars are not secure locations, and avoid leaving your wallet inside the vehicle.
2. Before entering or leaving a store, do not be distracted by your phone; instead, be aware of your surroundings, use the rear-view mirror of your vehicle to check if anyone is watching you or if a car is following you (consistently heading in the same direction). If you notice anything suspicious, contact the police.
3. When withdrawing money from the bank, do not stand there counting the cash; put it in your wallet first and then check.