OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Police in the San Francisco Bay Area are stepping up patrols and volunteers are increasing their street presence after several violent attacks on older Asians stoked fear and subdued the celebratory mood leading up to Lunar New Year.
City officials also have visited Chinatowns in San Francisco and Oakland this week to address residents’ safety concerns and condemn the violence as the holiday starts Friday.
They vowed to combat a problem that's been simmering since the start of the coronavirus pandemic but sparked new outrage after two unprovoked attacks were caught on video within a span of days and spread widely online.
