ASIAN HATE CRIME TRACKER
Golden Voice Society has a multi tier approach to promote safety awareness
in the Asian community nationwide with the Asian Hate Crime Tracker.
Data collection
The crowdsourced format allows incidents to be included into a database as soon as it occurs and goes beyond the limitations of relying on any single source.
Data reliability and credibility
To ensure our database is collated with up-to-date, relevant, and credible information, included incidents have met a certain set of criteria set by Golden Voice Society.
Incident Criteria
- Asian victim of a crime considered to be a violent felony (robbery, home invasion, battery/assault resulting in injury, etc.)
- Documented with a source (police press release, news article from a trusted source, publicized police report)
- Supporting media (photos, video, social media posts, PDF of source material)
- Location
Awareness
The objective of the Asian Hate Crime Tracker is to assist and be an educational source of information for community members, researchers, victims of crime, identity trends and circumstances in which Asians are victims of violent felonies. Violent felonies are focused on to avoid the obfuscation that often happens when it comes to the data collection and presentation of violence against Asians.
Exclusions from Asian Hate Crime Tracker data collection
- Anecdotal incidents without supporting documents or sources
- Incidents that do not have elements of a violent felony
Missing Grandma Project
An unfortunate fate that affects many of the elderly population is mental decline disorders like dementia and Alzheimer’s. Far too often, we hear of stories where grandmas and grandpas wander off, and some do not ever return home.
When our missing elders come into contact with good Samaritans or emergency services, it sometimes takes hours to properly identify them and the family, due to language barriers, or the family reluctant to file a missing persons report.
The Missing Grandma project funds engraved bracelets for elders, which sport a medical alert logo and contain identifying information. These bracelets use an “Alzheimer's clasp” which requires two hands to remove.
With all relevant information available on the bracelet, anyone who comes across an elder wearing one, can identify who they are, and who to call.
What used to take hours–finding a culturally and linguistically competent speaker, positively identifying the found person on government databases, waiting on a diagnosis on medical conditions–can be done in minutes.
Business Improvement Initiative: Lock Exchange
Program / Security Surveillance Program
Some Chinatowns have enough political influence to pass business improvement district (BID) initiatives. These special taxes on all the businesses in that Chinatown fund improvement measures back into their neighborhood. These measures include BID cameras, hired janitor and security to supplement the police and public works, and other quality of life spending.
Not every Chinatown has that benefit.
The Business Improvement Initiative is currently implementing 2 specific solutions for a safer and more secure Chinatown, in any city; The Lock Exchange Program and the Security Surveillance Program
Lock Exchange Program: Many merchants in Chinatowns still use a regular convenience store padlock with “hardened” shackles and standard pin/combination locks to secure their gates. These exposed shackles can be easily cut with a standard bolt cutter, while normal pins can be easily picked, and some combination locks can be opened in less than a second with a shim. Often, these locks are used out of ignorance of the vulnerabilities, or a refusal to pay more than $5 for the only thing securing the gate of a business.
The Lock Exchange program has volunteers walk through Chinatown, looking for these vulnerable locks. When one is found, GVS volunteers will use this educational opportunity to explain the risks, and then offer to trade the deficient lock with one that has at least these features:
- Added cutting resistance feature: Shrouded, thicker shackle, or harder material (boron carbide)
- Spool Pins present inside locking mechanism
Security Surveillance Program: While crime may not be stopped or prevented in all cases, having footage of the incident, especially when it captures a face or fleeing vehicle greatly enhances the chances of arrest and prosecution. For a business owner, another added benefit is liability protection.
The Security Surveillance Program is aimed at Chinatown businesses that do not have any sort of video surveillance in their store. GVS volunteers will help mount and install the security camera for the store owner and explain its functions.
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